


Protect. Fight. Honor. Sacrifice...For Her

by Littlegoaliejk3



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mob, Angst, F/F, Slow Burn, lots of flashbacks, other lesbian ships from ouat make an appearance, there will be some violence but I don't think it's too graphic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-16
Updated: 2018-12-11
Packaged: 2019-08-24 10:51:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 87,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16638527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Littlegoaliejk3/pseuds/Littlegoaliejk3
Summary: Sleeping Warrior AU. Aurora is the most powerful mob boss in Storybrooke. Her ex-wife, Mulan, is an experienced detective, who has returned to town to help take down organized crime. They have a long history together. Plenty of Angst.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> THis is a long fic and I hope to finish it by the time I reach the chapters I've already posted on tumblr. So far I have posted 19 chapters on tumblr and this fic is still incomplete. But I am determined to finish it.

Aurora was staring at the files to figure out who the new detective could possibly be. As far as she could tell there were 5 possibilities. 5 people with connections to Storybrooke who would be willing to come into this very corrupt, small town. Well actually there were 6, but she didn’t want to consider the last option. Sheriff Swan was being especially secretive. All she knew was that this new detective had experience taking down organized crime. And she was lucky to know that much. She was worried and her frustration with not knowing was only growing as time went on. She didn’t even know when this mystery person would be arriving in Storybrooke. Not knowing scared her. Knowledge of her enemy was her strongest weapon. It was how she maintained power and was able to manipulate her enemies. Philip, her second in command and her “boyfriend”, walked in.

"What is it?" Aurora asked without turning to face him.

"Well…..ummmm…" Philip didn’t want to be the one to deliver the bad news. It wasn’t really bad news, but he knew it would hurt. So he stood in the doorway staring at her back.

"Spit it out Philip I don’t have all day" Aurora snapped.

"That new detective you’ve been worrying about…She’s here…I checked she has just a handgun. No extra ammo. Came by herself."

"Then let her in." Well at least now she knew it was a woman. 

"But ummm…there’s something I should tell you…it’s….she’s…"

"Philip….I really don’t patience for your unusual stuttering right now…I said let her in" She said rolling her eyes, but not turning around. He walked the new detective in. 

"You can leave us Philip." After Philip left she just stood quietly for a minute. When the mystery woman remained silent she spoke.

"Coming to see me with only a side arm, by yourself, no back-up. I’m a little insulted, detective. You must be very brave or very stupid." After a lengthy pause, Aurora was starting to wonder if she was deaf as well.

"Well, you were the one who always said ‘don’t do something heroic and stupid.’ So I guess I’m both. Besides, if you were going to have me killed, you would have done so 7 years ago. And technically, I’m just a consultant," said a very familiar voice. Aurora stiffened automatically. Of all the possibilities she had considered, this was not one of them, or at least not one she wanted to consider.

"Mulan" she says softly to herself before straightening up and turning around to look her ex-wife in the eye. Upon making eye contact, she was reminded her what attracted her to Mulan in the first place. She had forgotten how beautiful her eyes were.

 

(Flashback)

The first time Aurora saw Mulan, it was right after she had moved into the dorms at the beginning of freshman year. She said an uncomfortable goodbye with her parents. Her father did not want her to go to college. She was expected to join the “family business”, but she didn’t want that. At least she had her mother on her side. So after many arguments, her mom finally convinced her father to let her go to college. Her father had pulled some strings to get her to move in early. She didn’t understand why until she saw the mad rush that was move-in day. But since she moved in early, very few other people were on campus. Aurora decided to explore the campus. She found a bench overlooking the harbor and sat down to enjoy the beauty of it.

That’s when she first saw Mulan. She was on a run wearing shorts and a grey Army shirt. They made eye contact for a brief second as Mulan ran past and smiled. It may have been for just a few seconds, but those dark eyes drew her in. For the first week before classes started, Aurora went to that bench by the harbor to read at the same time everyday. And everyday she would see the same brown eyed beauty run by. They would smile at each other and sometimes give a small nod. All Aurora could think was how beautiful the other girl was, and how she wanted to meet her.

(End Flashback)

"I just came to introduce myself. I’m the new consultant Sheriff Swan hired. Have a good day, sleeping beauty" Mulan says with an unreadable expression on her face, before she turns around to leave. She had planned to say more, but seeing Aurora again was more difficult than she had anticipated. Leaning more heavily on her cane than usual, she walked out slowly to avoid the appearance of running away.

Aurora didn’t move from her position for a couple minutes. She hadn’t been called sleeping beauty in such a long time, and only just then realized how much she missed it. How much she missed Mulan. Seeing her again brought back so many memories. Her hand instinctively went to the chain she wore on her neck. She pulled it out and clutched at the wedding band hanging on the end of it. When Philip walked back in, he immediately went over to comfort her. He held her in a tight hug as he did every night she woke from a nightmare. He knew that she only took out the ring when she was hurting or deep in thought. They stayed silent for awhile before Aurora was finally able to speak.

"I’m alright, thank you Philip. I have to go see someone. I’ll see you at home," she said calmly before storming out.  
_______________________

"HOW DARE YOU!" Aurora screamed when she entered the sheriff’s office.  
"How dare you bring her back here! How dare you drag her back into this mess! She deserves to be free of this." Emma, who was leaning back on her chair with her feet on the table, jumped to sit upright in her chair.

"How dare I what, Princess?" She asked surprisingly calm. She was expecting Aurora to come see her once she found out about Mulan’s return. When Mulan had told her she would go see her, Emma didn’t bother to try to stop her. 

"Convince my friend to return? Ask for help from someone with experience dealing with our current situation? She can never be free of this princess, and we both know it" 

"She WAS free! I made sure of it!"

"Oh yeah and how’s that?" Emma said finally standing up. 

"By leaving her? WHEN SHE WAS IN A COMA? By refusing to see her? By running away only to return when she left?"

"I managed to keep her SAFE and that’s all that matters!"

"You broke her fucking heart! And we both know it! She wasn’t safe where she was."

"She was safe enough. Safer than here."

"BULLSHIT! We both know what she was doing was practically suicide! And don’t you dare pretend to not know what she was up to! We both know you have been keeping tabs on her since she left!" Emma screamed. Aurora froze. That was something she had worked very hard to hide. She worked very hard to convince everyone that she did not care for Mulan. She narrowed her eyes.

“How do you know that? Who’s been talking to you?” she said in a low voice. Aurora’s secrets were important to her. Her secrets were necessary to protect the people she cared about. Emma’s mind was racing. She hadn’t meant to let that particular secret slip. She had heard from Ruby, who had remained Aurora’s confidant through everything. Well, up until her car accident with Belle a few years prior. Ever since Ruby was more willing to keep Emma informed. It was the only way Emma knew what was actually going on with Mulan. They had kept in contact, but Mulan gave very few details about her life in the city. Luckily, Emma was used to thinking on her feet.

"Oh come on Princess, you were in love with her and stood by her when she fought abroad. And when she was injured the first time. Through her rehabilitation. And when she got hit by that car. And then you suddenly divorce her without any forewarning? I’m not an idiot. I know your father did something to convince you to leave her! Of course you would keep watch over her! You may have fooled a lot of people, but I know it wasn’t an act. Mulan was one of my best friends, in case you forgot. Plus, private investigators in the city have no problem handing over information to the police." Aurora stared at Emma trying to figure out if she was lying. After a long moment, Emma let out a sigh before continuing.

"Don’t worry Princess, your father didn’t know about it. She was perfectly safe. Your idiotic plan worked."

 

(Flashback)

Aurora hated hospitals. She spent too much time in hospitals visiting her injured wife. This time from a “car accident”. An accident which wasn’t really an accident, and there wasn’t actually a car involved. It was the story the man who carried Mulan into the ER had given. And she knew better than to say otherwise. Knowing what she had to do made this visit so much more difficult. She knew she was being a coward. But there was no way she could do this if Mulan was awake. After staring at the hospital for five minutes, pacing the waiting room for another ten, and another five minutes of pacing outside her room, she finally entered.

 

"Hi. I’m sorry I haven’t been around recently," she said quietly, standing near the door, closing it behind her. 

"I just…I had a lot to think about, you know? There was a lot to do….before…now" She said as she walked over and took Mulan’s hand in her own the way she did every time she came to visit.

"I love you…I’m so sorry. This….this is all my fault. If I hadn’t been so stubborn, so arrogant…I could have stopped this…" She had to stop and catch her breath. She was trying so hard not to cry, but it didn’t work. She couldn’t stop her tears. She knew it would be difficult. So she took a deep breath and looked at her wife. Her bruised face. The cast on her right arm. The wraps around her left leg; the ones that covered a wound the doctors said may never be fully healed. She had to remind herself why she had to do this. To protect the one she loved. She gripped Mulan’s hand harder and took it in both hands.

"I love you. And as much as this hurts….at least you’ll be alive…and safe…and awake. You deserve so much more than this. You deserve a full life. To be happy, and you won’t ever get that….if….I…with me." She took out the envelope.

“I changed it. My father wanted it to be a 50-50 split, but….I had it changed. You get everything. The house, the car, all of our savings. It was the least I could do…” She says in a shaky voice. She looked down at her left hand and removed her rings one by one. All of her beautiful rings. Her rings that meant the world to her. The ring she got on their one year anniversary, the ring she got when Mulan was first deployed, and her engagement ring…slowly she took each of them off and placed them in the envelope with her letter and the divorce papers. But staring at the inscription in her wedding band.

"Love is sacrifice, but you my sleeping beauty are worth every sacrifice," she found she could not place it in the envelope, and stuffed it in her pocket.

Aurora tenderly took Mulan’s hand in her own. She kissed them softly with more tears coming from her eyes. She leaned over and kissed Mulan on the forehead, staying there for a long moment. Making sure to savor every last moment. She took a deep breath to get one last chance to ingrain her scent to her memory. A final kiss on the lips before finally turning to leave her without looking back. Her heart was broken. But at least the woman she loved would be safe.

____________________

One year later, Mulan had signed the divorce papers, completed her physical rehabilitation, and decided to leave town. She couldn’t stay in the town with all the memories. She sold their small house and car. And as much as she tried to hide her pain, Mulan was completely different. Not as open and expressive as she had once been. She needed a change so she decided to move away. Aurora watched from afar as Mulan got on a bus and left Storybrooke. As depressed as Aurora became once Mulan left town, a part of her was happy. It had worked. Her father had kept his word, Mulan was safe. As long as she remained, as long as she was obedient and loyal, Mulan was safe. And the further Mulan was from town, the better. The further she was from the kingdom Aurora’s father “The King” had created, the safer she was.

(End Flashback)

Aurora took a deep breath. She wanted to believe Emma, so she didn’t question it. ”Idiotic or not my plan was to keep her safe. And if it worked, it was worth it….You know I hate it when you call me Princess.” she said calmly before turning to leave just as quickly as she came.

 

======  
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON MY TUMBLR 2/25/2013


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sleeping Warrior AU. Aurora is the most powerful mob boss in Storybrooke. Her ex-wife, Mulan, is an experienced detective, who has returned to town to help take down organized crime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THis is a long fic and I hope to finish it by the time I reach the chapters I've already posted on tumblr. So far I have posted 19 chapters on tumblr and this fic is still incomplete. But I am determined to finish it.

One week. It had been one week since Mulan walked back into her life. And Aurora had no idea what to do. She finally decided that she would confront her. She had to be the one to do it. She couldn’t trust anyone else. She was terrified, but had no choice but to speak with the woman of her dreams…and nightmares.

Mulan was sitting in a booth at Granny’s, the same one she had always occupied. She was drinking coffee and looking over some files. Aurora knew she would be there. If anything, Mulan was known for her adherence to a schedule.

(Flashback)

Aurora’s best friend from high school was Ruby. Her grandmother ran the town diner, Granny’s. Ruby was only in school part time. She worked at Granny’s full time, which did not allow her to maintain a full course load. So Aurora would go almost everyday to see her friend and do some homework. Then, one day in October, Mulan came in with her friend Emma Swan. Aurora knew Emma from high school, but she only came to Storybrooke during junior year of high school and they never became close. Emma gave a small wave to Ruby and a smile to Aurora.

"First time to a small-town diner, huh?" asked Emma.  
"I don’t really understand why you would want to come that badly. It’s really nothing special."

"Emma, how many times do I have to tell you, I grew up on army bases! Did I not explain that I grew up we didn’t have restaurants as much as a cafeteria where we ate when we didn’t eat at home. We didn’t have diner’s. So excuse me for wanting to explore small town America," Mulan retorted exasperated.

"It’s cute." Mulan stated after looking around. "I like it here." After that, Mulan came to Granny’s almost everyday to do work starting around 4 until she left for ROTC training at 7.

And that’s how it starts. Aurora would go to Granny’s almost everyday(Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sundays for brunch to be exact), just to get a glimpse of Mulan and hopefully get the courage to talk to her.

(End Flashback)

"Always so predictable," Aurora thought to herself with a small smile. She had a plan. She always had a plan. She knew that it was time to confront Mulan. But she took one look at Mulan and all her plans went out the window. The second she walked in, a bunch of memories came flooding back to her.

(Flashback)

It was the end of their freshman year. Aurora had multiple classes with Mulan throughout the year.She still had not managed to speak to Mulan beyond asking a few homework questions for the classes they shared. The first time Aurora spoke to Mulan was on a Wednesday in early November. Aurora remembered because Mulan was wearing her Army uniform that day. Being in ROTC meant she had to wear it once a week. Something Aurora appreciated…from afar. She finally got the courage to walk over to the booth. She had a whole plan. She was going to casually go over and ask about the homework. And ask if Mulan was working on it as well. And then she would casually ask if she could join her in the booth. But the second she got to the booth she froze and stood there silently for a good minute before saying anything. Mulan must have sensed her presence because she looked up before Aurora said anything.

"Hi" Aurora had said right after Mulan looked up. Mulan raised an eyebrow before politely asking, "Hi? Did you need something?"

"Oh ummmm right. I’m Aurora. I’m in your English literature class with Professor Lancelot… Do you happen remember what the homework is for tomorrow?"

"Ummmmm….read pages 263-432" said Mulan with a smile before returning to her work.

"Thanks," Aurora said before walking away feeling so stupid. Why did she have to stand there like a total doofus. There was no way Mulan would want to talk to her after that. That was not what she wanted to say….

"Oh, and we need to bring in discussion questions as well," she heard Mulan say from behind her. When Aurora stopped and turned around, Mulan continued with a smile saying, 

"I’m Mulan by the way….I know you like to come here to visit Ruby….I like it here too. Feel free to ask more questions if you need."

"Thanks!" Aurora said with a smile. She returned to her seat at the counter feeling much better.

Ruby looked past Aurora’s smiling face and saw a blushing Mulan softly banging her head on the table. Ruby had watched the whole thing and just smiled, while shaking her head and said “This is going to be interesting,” to no one in particular.

(End Flashback)

Taking a deep breath, Aurora walked over and sat down across from Mulan.

”Hi.” she says shyly not knowing what else to say. 7 years of working speaking with confidence to cops, lawyers, thugs, the mayor, anyone really, always knowing what to say. But sitting across from Mulan, she was speechless. It was being in college all over again. the only reminder of the change was the cane leaning against the table.  
After a long pause, Mulan speaks without looking up.

”You’ve been busy since I left. You turned into him” Mulan says curtly. She’s reviewing a bunch of files that Aurora assumes are related to her work. “You always said you didn’t want to become him, but I guess—”

"I’m nothing like him," Aurora interrupted angrily. Mulan finally looks up and doesn’t say anything. She raises an eyebrow and motions to the files in front of her. Her question unspoken.

"If they could prove that I had anything to do with all that" Aurora motions to the files "I’d be in prison and we both know that" She says in a defensive whisper. This is not the conversation she wanted to have. Mulan stares for a long second before continuing. 

“You have an interesting trademark you know. No murders, at least nothing that can be proven. Just a lot of property damage. But specifically, injuring people in the left leg…Always the left leg. Sometimes the ankle, but usually—”

"Have a good day" Aurora says stiffly before leaving abruptly. The conversation did not go the way she wanted, even if she wasn’t sure what she hoped would come out of it.

(Flashback)

Mulan and Aurora danced around each other for the remainder of the school year. They saw each other almost daily at Granny’s but still sat separately. Aurora sat at the counter and Mulan occupied her regular booth. Since becoming a regular, Mulan also befriended Ruby, who loved to hear about all the different places Mulan had lived.  
Emma would occasionally join Mulan at the diner. For awhile, Aurora worried that they were dating until she overheard Emma talking about Regina Mills, a girl who was from Storybrooke, but had attended private school. Mulan was always supportive and thoughtful in her answers. Aurora admired her patience. Aurora had heard Ruby talk about Belle French just as much as Emma talked about Regina, and became sick of it very quickly.  
Aurora more or less told Belle that Ruby had a crush on her, which Aurora knew Belle reciprocated because she worked with Belle on a project and she had spent half the time asking questions about Ruby.

 

As the end of the school year approached, Ruby and Belle were pushing Aurora to ask Mulan out on a date. Ruby assured her that Mulan was interested, but refused to say why she was certain. The truth was that Mulan never spoke of Aurora except when she had asked if Aurora was single….on two separate occasions. Once in November, before winter break, then again the week before finals started.  
Aurora had been trying to work up the courage to talk to Mulan, but the most she had spoken to her was to ask about their homework for class…six different times. And each time she froze and became speechless before asking a simple and stupid question. Mulan was always polite and usually answered with a smile. Aurora had decided that her smile was beautiful. She looked over her shoulder one more time to see Mulan packing up. Sighing…she looked at Ruby and Belle before whispering “tomorrow, I’ll ask her tomorrow I swear.” Ruby just rolled her eyes and nodded her head. 

"Yeah and if you don’t I WILL….ask her on your behalf" Ruby mumbled the ending when Belle glared. Aurora smiled and replied.

"I will. I swear!"

The next day Aurora made sure to get there early. She was scribbling furiously on a piece of paper trying to figure out what to say. Ruby offered occasional suggestions in the form of sexual innuendos which only caused Aurora to forget her train of thought. Aurora was so busy trying to figure out what to say that she didn’t notice Mulan come in.  
The diner was full of hungry sleep deprived college students so Ruby didn’t notice either. By the time Aurora noticed, Mulan was already packing up. Mulan would never leave before 6, Aurora was sure of it. But Mulan had an early final the next day and wanted to get a good night’s sleep. Aurora didn’t know what she was going to say. She glanced over her should just in time to see Mulan get up and pick up her bag. So she stared at the counter top silently berating herself for missing her chance.  
Then, Mulan walked up to the counter and stood near Aurora and paused. Aurora stared at the paper in front of her not wanting to let on that she knew Mulan was there. She heard Mulan take a deep breath. 

"Hi Aurora. Ummmm….So I know we didn’t talk much but ….Ummmm… but I’m Mulan. And I think your cute. I’ve been meaning to ask you out…..so…so…here’s my number." Mulan said very quickly, before handing over a piece of paper and running out of the diner before Aurora could reply. She just gaped at the door for a solid minute before she realized that Mulan just said that she liked her back. She stared at the piece of paper in her hand with Mulan’s phone number and a little note. "I’m leaving on Saturday afternoon. I’d love to take you out before then. -Mulan"

She started screaming and jumping up and down before Ruby ran over to calm her down, as she had scared everyone else in the diner.

(End Flashback)

Mulan watches her leave, face unreadable. After a minute, Ruby came by holding a pot of coffee.

"Want some more?" she asked with a small smile. Mulan gave a small nod, facial expression unchanged, before whispering to herself "She hasn’t change much has she? Still…beautiful." Ruby just gives a small nod, knowing that it was a rhetorical question. As Ruby pours the coffee, Mulan asks.

“Is it okay if I go see Belle today? It’d be nice to see her…even if she doesn’t recognize me.” Ruby just gives a sad smile.

“Yeah…you don’t need my permission you know. And she’ll recognize you she just won’t remember anything since….you remember that time we broke up for a month and she started dating Killian Jones?”

"…So college? Junior year?"

"She remembers that time we broke up, but not…." Ruby continues before trailing off.

"Everything else" Mulan finishes the sentence. "But it’s been 3 years since the accident, surely you guys are friends again?"

"Not really…she just remembers the fight, and not how we made up. She comes in every now and then…we have a weird friendship…It was bad enough when she thought she was still dating Killian. You know especially with Milah being around…"

"Sorry I shouldn’t have asked. I guess I’m just used to you guys being together"

"Don’t worry about it. I get it…….we weren’t on the best of terms when you left……but we’re good now….?"

"Yes, time heals most wounds" Mulan finishes sadly looking at the door Aurora had exited minutes earlier. 

"Sorry I didn’t mean to keep you from your work. But let’s grab dinner later this week? We can catch up" She turns to Ruby giving a small smile, who nods in return, before continuing to read the files Emma had given her.  
______________

The next day Aurora is back in her office, still contemplating the current situation.

"So boss, what do you want tot do about the new consultant they brought in?"  
Aurora couldn’t bare the thought of putting Mulan through anymore pain. She decided that there was only one solution.

"I’ll take care of it." She had no idea what she was going to do, but there was no way she would let anyone else near Mulan.

====

Originally posted on tumblr 2/26/2013

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Feedback appreciated :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sleeping Warrior AU. Aurora is the most powerful mob boss in Storybrooke. Her ex-wife, Mulan, is an experienced detective, who has returned to town to help take down organized crime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a long fic and I hope to finish it by the time I reach the chapters I've already posted on tumblr. So far I have posted 19 chapters on tumblr and this fic is still incomplete. But I am determined to finish it.

Emma entered the office a little later than usual. She had gone to visit Regina in the hospital that morning. She found Mulan sitting at a desk reading some more files, fidgeting with her cane as she did so.

"How’s she doing?" Mulan asked without looking up

"Happy Monday to you too." Emma said jokingly.

"Anyway, Regina is doing fine. Just a broken arm and a concussion. She’s ordering people around as usual. And extremely frustrated that they won’t let her leave. So I dropped off Henry. He should be able to keep her calm for a few hours." Mulan smiled.

“Yeah that’ll work. They’ll let her home soon though, right?”

"Yeah, They said she might be good to come home later this week. They said it’s just a precaution, but I figure it’s safer since we still don’t know who…." Emma trailed off.

"Understandable," Mulan finished for her.

(Flashback)

"I don’t think I can do this," Aurora whispered to Philip.

"You have to do something Aurora. You know if you do nothing Maleficent will overpower us and she won’t hesitate to kill them." Philip replied. Maleficent had been taking advantage of Emma and Regina’s decision to focus on taking down organized crime in Storybrooke. Specifically, Maleficent appeared to be giving information to the police and it was starting to weaken Aurora’s influence.

"Yeah, but Regina….she’s a good person…deep down."

"We discussed this. She’s used blackmail and threats just as you have."

"Not really though. I mean, yeah she threatened to expose secrets, but never threatened in the same way we have."

"But she’s not ‘good’, and that’s really the important thing"

"You’re right… It just feels wrong….but messing with their car should stop them right? And we rigged it so the car won’t be able to accelerate above 30 miles per hour once the brakes and steering cut out. It’s the best I can do…It’s the safest for everyone," she said to convince herself more than anyone else. She knew that the way the city was being run was wrong, but she also feared what would happen if Maleficent took over. Aurora may have been breaking the law, but she did have her rules. Something she knew Maleficent lacked.

"So do you want me to follow through with the order?" Philip asked softly. Aurora just closed her eyes and nodded while holding onto her necklace tightly.

"Please forgive me," she whispered to the universe.

__________________________  
"Regina, can you go pick up Henry? I’ve got to get to this meeting. This guys claims that he’s high up in the kingdom. It might be the key to freeing Aurora," Emma wanted to make Storybrooke corrupt free, and part of her wanted to free Aurora. She believed that Aurora was still a good person who was trapped by her work. After Ruby and Belle’s car accident, Emma had become determined to end the hold organized crime held over the city. She thought that she was very close to taking down the bigger players.

"Fine Emma. But you do realize being the mayor does require a lot of work right? You owe me."

"Always. Love you," Emma replied.  
"Thank you, thank you. I’ll make it up to you I swear!"

"Yes dear love you too." Regina hung up the phone with a sigh. She had agreed reluctantly, but their recent push to free Storybrooke from corruption had been working. Or so it seemed. The number of arrests had gone up and after an short uptick in violence, it had appeared to have finally slowed down.

But Regina was dealing with some personal battles as well. She had been fighting with Henry much more recently. He had turned into a teenager and with it was his constant desire to see his father, and he no longer called Regina his mother. Regina left town hall to pick Henry up from his friends house. When she came to the door Henry tried to insist he had asked Emma to stay overnight and she had said yes. But Regina knew it was a lie resulting in a huge yelling match outside his friends house.

"You aren’t my mother! So stop acting like it!" Henry had yelled before getting in the car slamming the door. He sat in the backseat wanting to sit as far from Regina as possible.  
On the drive home, Regina’s car slammed into a tree. It was later discovered that the brakes and the steering had been rigged to stop working after 10 miles. Sitting in the backseat had saved Henry from significant damage, but Regina had suffered major injuries. She had suffered a severe concussion that left her unconscious for four days.  
Emma was terrified. When the guy she was supposed to meet didn’t show, she worried that it had been a set-up. And the end result was her wife and kid getting into a car accident. After that she called Mulan. She knew that she had been working to take down big crime organizations in the city. She needed help, and couldn’t risk putting her family in any more danger. She couldn’t stop, but she couldn’t continue working on it alone.

As it so happened, Mulan had been fighting with her bosses about continuing her work in the city. After helping take down two major crime families, Mulan had a huge target on her back. So after much discussion Mulan decided to return because it would be safer than staying in the city. And one month later, Mulan arrived and Emma had handed over the files.

(End Flashback)

"How’s Henry doing? He’s what 15 now?" Mulan asked trying to change the subject.

"Yup. He’s worried about Regina. He’s also feeling guilty that he got out of it with just a few scratches.…Anyway, you ready to go over everything, mob destroyer?” Emma finished.

"Mob destroyer?" Mulan questioned with a raised eyebrow.  
" I think I prefer it when you called me dragon girl, which by the way is totally racist." Emma just shrugged and replied with a smirk, "Well it’s not my fault the first time we met you were wearing that ridiculous shirt with a red dragon on it."

"Okaaaaay….fine you win. Let’s get down to business. I haven’t finished reading through all the files you gave me, which by the way, were terribly organized. But I figure if we discuss it than we can figure out what to look for."

"Sounds good to me. I got a big board to help you figure it out. Let me pull it out."

"Don’t you think we should keep it somewhere more….private than the middle of the sheriff station?" Mulan asked as Emma pulled it out.

"Naw, I’m trying to avoid putting stuff in writing. That’s how Aurora didn’t know it was you I brought in. So I figure as long as we don’t put our plans on this board. We’re safe."

"I guess we’ll keep the obvious stuff on that board. Let’s start with the people and the organization of sleeping beauty’s kingdom."

_________________

"Good morning" said Mulan as she entered the sheriff station. "I brought coffee."

"You are a god. Thank you" said Emma before she started chugging her coffee.

"Take it easy, we have a long day ahead of us."

"We do? We finished the pyramid yesterday. Can’t we take a break?" Emma whined half joking. They managed to finish the hierarchy of Aurora’s kingdom in a couple days. There were a few question marks, but they more or less knew where everyone fit in.  
After seeing Mulan glare Emma continued.

”Okay, can we wait then? I don’t like looking at the bloody stuff until I’ve digested my coffee.”

"Will you be able to look at them after lunch?"  
"Surprisingly, yes. But like after an hour, you know like swimming," Emma replied with a smirk.

"Okay, well I’ve been through these 50 files," Mulan says pointing to the stacks of files on her desk.

"So we’ll start there. I really wish you had organized these files somehow. Like really did you try to organize them at all? They’re not even in chronological order." Emma just gave a shrug,

“They were placed in the drawer in the order I looked at them. Unfortunately, the second I realized it was one of those cases, I kind of pushed it off or just stuck in that filing cabinet anywhere I could fit it…sorry?” She finished sheepishly. Mulan just gave her a stern look.

"It just makes all this" she motioned to their big board.  
"much harder to piece together…Anyway, I noticed a general pattern so far. Overall, everyone that has been attacked in some way…well, none of them were ever in the running for citizen of the year."

"Okay…" Emma replied not sure where Mulan was going with it.

"I figured we could start with the people who were killed, and why," Mulan answered.

"There has to be some reason why certain guys were killed as opposed to the rest who were injured to varying degrees…unless it was an accident. But for now let’s assume it was their intention to kill."

"Sure"

"I figured we could start we these two, they were killed around the same time….and I noticed, it was about a week after Ruby’s car accident."

(Flashback)

Aurora’s week had been bad enough. The last thing she wanted to hear about was one of her friends being caught in the crossfire. There was a new group in town. They were trying to take over and after her father’s death, they apparently thought it would be easy. When Aurora pushed back, Maleficent retaliated worse than she had anticipated.  
Aurora ran into Storybrooke Memorial Hospital searching for Philip. Hopefully, he could reassure her that everything would be alright. But she ran into Ruby first.

"What the hell are you doing here? Did you do this?" Ruby yelled at her and continued without waiting for an answer.  
"This is all your fault! If it weren’t for you we wouldn’t be here right now! Get out of here!" Then Ruby broke down crying and was being comforted by one of the nurses. Aurora didn’t know what to say. Her best friend was devastated and blamed her for what had happened. She wasn’t wrong and Aurora wanted the culprits found.

"I’m sorry, Ruby. They won’t get away with this." She said with confidence before hunting down Philip.

"How bad is it?" She asked once she found him.

"Pretty bad," Philip said somberly. "From what I heard, the airbag didn’t go off on the passenger side. I’m going to guess that whoever messed with the brakes, did the airbags as well. Belle hit her head against the dashboard. Internal bleeding. She’s in surgery now."

"Fuck" that’s all Aurora could think to say.

"She’s gone too far. Ruby and Belle are innocent." Aurora knew her life was dangerous. She had accepted that, but anyone who was hurt by her organization deserved it. If her father had taught her anything, it was the importance of having rules and standards and sticking to them.

"I’ll see you later." Was her last word before leaving the hospital.

From there it was all bad news. Ruby had sustained a couple broken bones herself. She refused to speak to Aurora. Every time she tried, Ruby would just start yelling at her. Aurora had enough guilt on her own, and Ruby piling on didn’t help matters. Then the news came in about Belle. Her memory was inconsistent at best. She couldn’t seem to remember much about life after college. Let alone the fact that she had married Ruby and they were talking about starting a family. Once that news came in, Aurora stopped trying to speak to Ruby. She saw to it that Belle was given the best care. Other than that she only saw Ruby when she went to the the diner or when rent was due.  
_________________  
Aurora had found the culprits within two days. They were both car mechanics who had history of stealing cars. Low level players that had previously worked for her. She was furious at the situation and took her feelings out on the two unfortunate souls. She had them brought to the warehouse near the harbor. It was one of the few times Aurora was directly involved in one of her…jobs.

They were used to send a message. They had been reported missing for three days before their bodies were found. Their faces were bruised badly to go along with their broken bones. Even if Aurora refused to have anyone killed, or at least order a murder, the two guys who rigged the car died from bleeding out. Stab wounds to their left legs.  
Everyone knew who it was, but no one knew if it was murder or just an injury gone wrong. Aurora knew the truth, and it bothered her more than she let on. But her friends were safe, and her message was clear.

(End Flashback)

Emma stared at the files before looking at Mulan, “How the hell did I miss that? Two guys known for jacking cars die a week after Ruby’s car got messed with.”

"Well in your defense, you did have your hands full at the time."

"True story, but …damn how did I miss this? Aurora was sending a message, a very clear do not fuck with my friends message." After a long silence, Mulan finally spoke.

“We’re going to have to go through every one of those files,” she said pointing to the filing cabinet filled with crimes that were connected to Aurora’s kingdom. “We have to organize it if we’re going to be able to find any trends.”

"Trends?"

"Well, she used those two guys to send a message. But what about everything else? Some people have been attacked more than once. Some people had been stabbed, others had their leg broken. If we can find a pattern as to how and why different people were attacked, we can figure out their rules."

"Rules?"

"Really Emma did you not look into how these things work at all?" Mulan asked. Emma just gave a small shrug.

"I was kind of just winging it."

"In general," Mulan started as if she had made this speech before, "these types of organizations are like an underground city. They have their hierarchy," she said pointing to organizational chart they had made on the board, "And their own rules. They have laws that they adhere to with their own justice system"

"So your saying that there was a reason behind all of those crimes? Beyond just a display of power?"

"Probably, so we have to organize all of that," Mulan pointed again at the filing cabinet again, but this time with her cane. "If we know their rules, then we can find the cracks in their system and take it down."

"Whatever you say. Your the expert. How should we organize it?"

"Let’s start alphabetically. Like really Emma you had four different files about one guy….it took me like an hour figure out why his name sounded familiar. We can combine files of people who’ve been attacked more than once. We decrease our paperwork, AND hopefully we can find a pattern. I have to go through all of those files anyway. Plus, it wouldn’t hurt for you to review them as well."

"This sucks…"

"Yeah well you really should have been more organized in the first place."

"In my defense, part of the organizational issue was Graham’s fault. He didn’t believe in paperwork. And you sound like Regina."  
"I’ll take that as a compliment." At that Emma just stuck out her tongue at Mulan, who laughed.

Despite the painful memories triggered by being in Storybrooke, Mulan was happy to have her friend back in her life.  
_________________________

Aurora paces her office not sure what to do. She should be able to do this. Just walk up to Mulan and demand…no not demand. Request to meet up with her. No that’s not the right word, ask her out, for a coffee, to reconnect. Or maybe a full meal? Yes a full meal would be better. No…no. Drinks! Yes, drinks, alcohol makes all awkward situations better right. Of course just to reconnect with an ex. That wouldn’t be so hard right. Drinks.  
Asking Mulan out the first time was hard enough without all this extra baggage.

(Flashback)

Aurora was sitting at the counter at Granny’s. It was Thursday night and Mulan would be leaving in two days. She was running out of time to make the call. The diner was closed and Aurora was keeping Ruby company as she cleaned up. She was staring at the piece of paper on the counter holding her phone in her hand.

“Okay, I can do it this time. I’ll call and just….” she took a deep breath.

"Ruby! What do I even say? I can’t just ask to meet her here for a date right? But I can’t take her somewhere special, they’ll treat me weird…And I just want her to know me for me. Not me, my scary dad’s daughter. That’s been holding me back my whole life….Oh no, but what if she already knows? What if she only invited me because she knew I was interested and knows about my dad and is scared and—"  
"AURORA!" Ruby yelled to stop her rambling, before she continued calmly, "She gave you her number. You didn’t ASK for her number. Her note said she wanted to take you out. Just call her. Have a conversation. Everything else will sort itself out."

"Right. Okay." Aurora took a deep breath and opened her phone. She dialed the number and stared at her phone some more before closing it abruptly.

"I can’t do this." She threw her phone onto the counter before laying her head down with a sigh.

After Ruby finished cleaning the tables, she went around the counter and picked up the note and Aurora’s phone. And quickly called the number before Aurora had a chance to stop her.

Aurora tried to climb across the counter saying, “Ruby, don’t, no…give me back my—”

"Hello?" came Mulan’s voice over the phone, and Aurora froze when she heard the voice.

"Hi Mulan, how are you?"

"Ruby? Why are you calling from a different number?"

"Oh, well I was hanging out with Aurora and she just told me she hadn’t called you yet so I decided to do it for her" Ruby said sticking out her tongue at Aurora who had stopped trying to climb over the counter and sat there staring at Ruby. She was straining to hear what Mulan said in reply.

Mulan let out a little laugh. Aurora couldn’t help but smile thinking it sounded adorable.  
“Okay…so then do you want to put her on the phone? Or are you going to ask me out?”  
Aurora’s eyes widened at the smirk Ruby was sending her way before continuing her efforts to get her phone back. Mulan listened with interest as she heard the phone being shuffled around before she heard an out of breath Aurora reply.

"Hi"

"Hello…Aurora would you like to go out on a date with me?"

"Yes, definitely," Aurora said quickly. "Are you free tomorrow night? I was thinking we could go see a movie. You know on Fridays the movie theater had student tickets for $5 and we can grab dinner too if you’d like, or we can go after dinner and get ice cream instead or—" Aurora was cut off when Mulan started laughing.

"You’ve never been this talkative before…Why is that? It’s cute… But sorry, I can’t tomorrow night. I promised Emma we could grab dinner and hang out before I leave…I would’ve been free if you had asked earlier, but now it’s too late cause she’s getting lunch with Regina Saturday so I have to see her tomorrow night…"

"Oh…" Aurora replied disappointed.

"But if you don’t mind getting breakfast at Granny’s on Saturday morning I’m free"

"Yes, yes, yes, definitely. I’ll see you Saturday morning at Granny’s! Bye!" Aurora replied with the biggest smile on her face hanging up the phone. "I have a date, Ruby! With Mulan! Saturday morning, here!!" Aurora was jumping up and down just as she had the day Mulan gave her her number. But stopped when she saw Ruby laughing, very hard.

"What’s so funny?" Aurora asked without losing her smile.

"You….you just hung up on Mulan without letting her speak!" Ruby managed to say while still laughing very hard.

"And you know breakfast for her is like 6AM? You didn’t even set a time." By the time Ruby managed to finish her little speech, Aurora gaped at her eyes wide.

"Shit…Your right, I did hang up on her! shit shit shit" She grabbed her phone and dialed Mulan’s number again without thinking.

"Hello?" Mulan answered.

"I am so sorry"

"For what?" Mulan sounded very confused and then a little upset.

"You’re not calling to cancel are you?" Mulan continued calmly, but she did sound upset.

"If you are, why did you even agree to say yes…That’s rather rude you know. I mean why say yes if—"

"No! I wasn’t calling to cancel. Of course not. Sorry I was calling to apologize for hanging up on you so suddenly. I didn’t mean to. I just got so excited for our date that I wasn’t thinking and then Ruby mentioned that we never set a time and how I just hung up without letting you talk and I just—"

"I’m excited too," Mulan said stopping Aurora’s rambling. "

I’ll see you at Granny’s at 7AM on Saturday. I have to go now. But I look forward to seeing you." And with that Mulan hung up the phone. Aurora stood gaping.

“Who on earth wakes up that early on a Saturday?!?!” Ruby was still laughing. “It’s not funny Ruby!!!” Ruby and Aurora were notorious for staying up late and infamous for their ability to sleep well past noon on the weekends.

"How am I going wake up on time? What if I’m late? I can’t call again to change the time. No…I can’t do that….I can do this. I can do this." And with that Aurora was determined to wake up early on Saturday to see Mulan for breakfast.

(End Flashback)

Aurora prepared for the worst, but somehow that seemed to calm her nerves. Somehow preparing for the worst brought out her more serious and professional side. She knew Mulan took her lunch break around noon. So she headed over around 12:30PM. When Aurora walked into Granny’s, she saw Ruby sitting in the booth with Mulan. So Aurora walked over to the counter and took her regular seat.

"Great. I’ll see you for dinner tomorrow! It’ll be great to reconnect, I haven’t really had many friends since…" Ruby trailed off, but Aurora heard Mulan fill the silence.

"No problem Ruby. It’ll be great to catch up with an old friend. It’ll be nice to make some new memories as well." When Ruby returned to the counter she made eye contact with Aurora.

“Your usual?” Ruby asked politely. They had never mended their friendship properly following Ruby’s car accident, but they had finally moved into an awkward friendly phase and they both hoped to return to being friends eventually. Aurora gave a curt nod before getting up and sliding into Mulan’s booth.

"Hi."

"What can I do for you today, Aurora?" Mulan said looking up from her files. Aurora started to wonder just how much paperwork Emma had on her.

"Oh, ummmm…I was hoping to ask you out for dinner. I’m busy tonight, so I was thinking tomorrow night, but it seems you have plans, so how about drinks?" Aurora managed to say calmly.

"Drinks? Sorry, I don’t drink when I’m working on a case."

"Oh," Aurora thought that was weird. Mulan had always enjoyed having a drink after work to help unwind from a busy day. "Then, I’ll have a drink and you can have coffee," Aurora tried again. Mulan stared at Aurora.

"Why?" Mulan managed to ask. After a lengthy pause she watched Aurora get up.

"Sorry this was a dumb idea…I don’t know what I was thinking…I’ve missed you," she whispered the last part before getting up to return to the counter.

Aurora returned to her seat at the counter just in time for Ruby to bring out her food. Aurora stared at her food as she ate contemplating what to do. But really what did she think was going to happen? Could they get back together? It couldn’t be possible. Aurora had explored that possibility when she took over for her father. There was no way out that ended well. Every scenario ended with either her own death or more harm coming to the people she cared about.  
She stayed to keep everyone safe, even if she lost most of her friends. And for the most part it had worked. But work got in the way of all of her friendships. First with Mulan, then Ruby and Belle, and Emma, and Regina. Her only remaining friend was Belle, but that was barely a friendship at all. Philip was the only one she could count on since he was stuck just as she was.

"Alright," she jumped when she heard Mulan next to her. "Breakfast, Saturday, 7AM. Here." Mulan said with an unreadable expression on her face. The familiar day and time not lost on either of them. They made eye-contact and Mulan lost herself in Auroras blue eyes.

"I’ll be here. On time. Promise." Aurora laughed softly. Her voice pulled Mulan out of her reverie.

“See you then" Mulan said before turning and leaving. As Aurora watched her leave, she wondered how someone walking with a cane could look as powerful as Mulan did.

"I guess we’ll start from the beginning…again," Aurora whispered with a small smile and a hope that everything could, somehow, end well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ORIGINALLY POSTED ON TUMBLR 2/27/2013
> 
> Feedback appreciated :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sleeping Warrior AU. Aurora is the most powerful mob boss in Storybrooke. Her ex-wife, Mulan, is an experienced detective, who has returned to town to help take down organized crime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long story here. Already posted 19 chapters on tumblr and plan to finish it by the time I post all the chapters here. Hopefully I'll get inspired.

"How many files do we have left?" Mulan asked looking at the clock. After three days, and late nights, of hard work, Emma and Mulan were almost done reading through all the files and consolidating them.

 

"Ummmm….looks like we’ve got 15 or so left. Why?" Emma replied when she noticed Mulan staring at the clock.

 

"Oh, I told Ruby I’d meet her at Granny’s for dinner around 7. I was hoping that I would have a chance to change into something more casual first."

 

"Aren’t you staying at Granny’s B&B? It’s right there. It won’t take you that much extra time if you change."

 

"Yeah, I was just checking to see how we’re doing on time. It’d be nice if we finished going through all the files by the end of the day. You know? Then we’d have something different we can work on next week."

 

"Good point….but you do realize it’s not even 5 yet? Granny’s isn’t that far."

 

"I know. I just wanted to make sure we’d be out of here on time and accomplish everything we want to do. Besides, you know how I—"

 

"Would rather be 20 minutes early than 5 minutes late. Yes I know. You are incredibly punctual. Which is one of the many reasons I wonder how you’ve tolerated me over the years seeing as I’m always been late." Emma ended with a smile.

 

"Patience is a virtue…Anyways, let’s get back to work. So you can go home and clean before Regina returns." 

 

"Yeah….wait, that won’t take all weekend. I have until Monday."

 

"Emma, with the messes you and Henry make, it’ll take a professional cleaning crew a week to clean your place to Regina’s standards. Plus, how much have you actually cleaned since she’s been in the hospital?" When Emma didn’t respond immediately and was clearly thinking about the question. 

 

"My point exactly…Anyway, let’s focus and we can end the week on a good note!" After working hard, there was only one file remaining. And they decided to talk it through together. And at 6:18 they were done.

 

"And we’re done!" Emma exclaimed excitedly, jumping up for a high five. 

"And look you have plenty of time, you can crawl to Granny’s if you want."

 

"Haha, very funny. Let’s get out of here. I’m getting sick of sitting in this office so much. But I’m glad we’re done. That was tedious as hell. We’ll take the next step Monday."

 

"Sweet. So what’s the next step?" Emma asked as she put on her jacket.

 

"Like I said earlier, finding trends in the crimes. If we can find some way to categorize everything, we can figure out what lines they will or won’t cross."

 

"Cool. Hopefully, it will be much easier now that we have only 78 files to look at instead of 139….yeah I know organization should have been better, but it’s fine now." Emma said as they exited the sheriffs station.

 

"Yeah, have a good night and weekend!"

 

"You too! Have fun with Ruby! And I can’t wait to hear all about your second first date with Aurora." Emma said with a wave as she was walking away.

 

"It’s not a date!" Mulan said waving back with a scowl on her face.

 

"I have no idea what it is though." Mulan finished to herself. As she walked toward Granny’s, she started to wonder why Aurora wanted to meet. She wondered whether or not she would be able to say no if Aurora wanted to try to get back together. Despite all the heartache, Mulan still loved her, but she had to protect herself. She was determined to treat their breakfast as a test, to see if Aurora’s interest was personal or professional. And Mulan was determined to keep her emotions in check.

 

Mulan entered Granny’s at 6:58pm and Ruby was waiting a table so she sat at the counter and waited for her to finish up. Ruby walked by.

 

“I was worried if you were going to make it,” Ruby said with a smile.

 

"When you weren’t here at quarter of, I was worried you would stand me up, seeing as your usually earlier than this," she finished in response to Mulan’s questioning look. 

 

"Just let me finish ringing up this check and we can go, or would you rather eat here?" Mulan just shrugged. And then Ruby rolled her eyes. "Think about it while I bring these guys their check."

__________________

Aurora entered her house tired. While she had had a long day, which was made worse by the fact that she was distracted by her upcoming breakfast with Mulan. She had no idea how it was going to go or what she wanted to get out of it. And she was worried about what Mulan wanted to get out of it. Mostly, she kept imagining scenarios where Mulan would walk out of her and leave Storybrooke forever.

 

"Hey," said Philip as Aurora entered the living room. He got up to give her a hug when he noticed her looking upset. "Did everything go okay with Leopold?"

 

"Yeah," she replied distractedly. "Sometimes I wish he would get over the fact that I’m a woman. But I got him to agree to our terms. We’ll have control of Snow Stables by next month." After losing much of their property to Maleficent over the previous two years, Aurora had been working very hard to regain all of her old property.

 

"Well done. Did you have to give up anything extra?"

 

"I agreed to forgive Mary-Margaret’s overdue charges. They still pay rent, but not their late fees which have been accumulating. I hate negotiating with that man, but Mary-Margaret and David are good people." She said as she sat down.

 

"Not a bad trade off."

 

"I supposed." Aurora didn’t much enjoy discussing her work, but Philip needed to stay updated on everything since he took care of the…less appealing sides of their work and needed to know how everything was going.

 

"I’d say you’ve earned yourself a reward," Philip replied while standing up. Aurora wanted to get stables back to make up for Regina’s accident. She knew it was foolish, and nothing she did could make up for causing a car accident. But she knew Regina loved to ride and wanted to get the stables so she could offer her free passes. 

 

“How about I make one of your favorites?"

 

"No thanks," she said looking up. "How about a nice glass of wine and something simple?"

 

"Alright, a glass of your favorite red wine coming right up. I’ll make some of your favorite pasta and we can have ice cream for dessert. Nice and simple. Sound good?" Philip finished with a smile. Aurora just nodded and remained seated on the couch while Philip started cooking. She liked to take the time to relax and unwind after a difficult day. Philip brought her some wine before returning to the kitchen. And Aurora let her mind wander to her plans for the following day which didn’t help her to relax at all.

______________________________________

Mulan had decided on Tiana’s Place. It was a new restaurant that had opened while she was away. She had heard good things about it and Mulan was craving something different. She had eaten at Granny’s almost everyday since she had returned to Storybrooke. They walked in silence for a couple minutes before Ruby spoke.

 

"So….how’s Graham?" Ruby said trying to start a conversation. 

"How’s city life treating him? Is he a famous detective yet?"

 

"He’s good. He likes the city, but he does miss the fresh air. He likes to drive out to the woods nearby just to get away from it all. But he loves his work. He’s doing well and I’m sure he’ll be promoted to captain soon. When Emma asked me to come back, I suggested that Graham come back instead. But he insisted that I needed to get out of there."

 

"Why’d he insist?"

 

"Oh…well I didn’t really want to come back because…well you know. But when Emma called and I said no, she called him. And he wanted to get me out of there." At Ruby’s questioning look, Mulan continued speaking.

 

"He said I needed to lay low for awhile. After taking out the Huns and the Stone Dragons, he thought I was in too much danger being in the city….I know their names seem weird, but they were two big crime organizations I helped bring down" Mulan explained at Ruby’s confused look. "He was concerned. He went over my head and I was basically ordered to leave. So I’m technically still working for them being loaned out as a consultant."

 

"Oh…okay. I was wondering how Emma could afford to bring in anyone new. She’s been wanting to bring in some more help in the last couple years and was having trouble finding the money for it, and given your reputation…well I was wondering how she could afford it."

 

On that note, they arrived at the restaurant. They got seated in relative silence and didn’t speak much as they decided what to eat. Once they ordered their food, they sat in silence for a couple minutes. Both of them unsure of what to say. They both wanted to repair their friendship, but both were afraid of saying the wrong thing.

 

"So….you saw Belle this week, yeah? How did it go?" Ruby decided to speak up first, and figured she should be the one to bring up Belle. While the topic hurt, she had accepted the truth and did like to keep updated about how Belle was doing.

 

"Ummm…yeah I did. We went for pizza at Neal’s Fire and Grill. It was pretty good. We also ran into Neal. It was nice to see him again."

 

"Cool. I’ve actually never been. But did it go well?"

Mulan let out a sigh before replying, “…It was good to see her again. But it was weird to remind her of everything that happened.”

 

"Yeah, it is…"  After a long moment of silence, Mulan said 

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

"Sorry? What for? You didn’t do anything wrong."

 

"I’m sorry I wasn’t here for you when you were going through all that. I should have come back. I was a coward not to come back when my friend needed me just because of my own issues."

 

"Mulan, stop. I understand and I don’t blame you for anything. And at least you were willing to talk to me over the phone at all hours of the night."

 

"Yeah, but still—"

 

"You have NOTHING to apologize for. Besides, you didn’t have to talk to me after it all happened, but you did. And that’s all that matters," Ruby paused before speaking again in order to prevent a prolonged silence "So how’s Belle doing? Last I heard she went on a date with Neal, but I don’t think-”

 

"Does she know?" Mulan interrupted. She wasn’t planning to bring Belle up, but since Ruby kept bringing her up she thought it would be safe to ask. 

 

"Know what?"

"You know what. How you guys got back together. That she found out that you didn’t cheat on her and never would. That Whale had made up that story to make himself look good?"

 

"No of course not. I didn’t want to tell her how we got over it. It wouldn’t have been right. I can’t just explain how we worked through it. And she probably wouldn’t have believed me. It was hard and it took time. No amount of explanation will accomplish that."

 

"Honestly, I don’t know how you managed it. You were both so miserable and determined to believe that she would be better off without you. If Aurora and I hadn’t intervened you probably never would have made up."

 

"Wait, back up. What did you guys do? You didn’t put us back together we kept running into each other and…Oh. My. God. Those weren’t coincidences?"

 

In response, Mulan just shook her head with a smile on her face. With a surprised look Ruby exclaimed, “how on earth did I not know about that all these years?”

 

"What can I say. We were both getting sick of hearing you guys complain and pine over each other." Mulan finished before a she started to grin. At that moment the food came out and Mulan pretended to be very interested in her meal.

 

"Mulan, why are you smiling like that? No, I know that smile. Your planning something. Whatever your planning to do, don’t." Ruby said half jokingly. Part of her was comforted by the fact that Mulan had just mentioned Aurora without any hesitation or anger and hoped that was a good sign.

 

"Don’t worry. I won’t do anything." Mulan said as she grinned evilly. 

 

"Besides, I won’t need to do much. You guys just need a small nudge. Your both still interested in each other, even if your both too oblivious to see it."

 

They continued like that all through the meal. Ruby bouncing back and forth between asking about the city, what Belle has been up to and trying to figure out what Mulan was planning. In reality, Mulan had no idea how she was going to manage it because she wasn’t the mastermind behind their previous reunion. But she knew that Belle and Ruby still missed each other. And given the amount of times Ruby kept asking about Belle and the number of questions Belle had asked her about Ruby, she was certain that she wouldn’t have to do much.

_______________________________

"Smells delicious," Aurora commented as she sat down. "What did you make?"

 

"Your favorite white wine sauce to go with the pasta. And here, have some garlic bread," Philip replied with a smile passing Aurora the bread. "And here’s a new glass for your wine."

 

"Thank you Philip. I am so lucky my father chose you," Aurora commented.

 

"How many glasses of wine did you have?"

 

"Oh, just….2? Or maybe 3, I’m not sure." She replied sheepishly. She was rather stressed out and felt the need to indulge herself to calm her nerves. "Why?"

 

"Oh..That explains it. You don’t usually compliment me," Philip said with a smile. "Not that I’m complaining."

 

"I guess…oh, your going to visit Rose this weekend right? What time are you leaving tomorrow?" Aurora asked quick to change the subject as she started eating.

 

"Yeah, I am," Philip replied. Rose was Philip’s wife. His father had been a rival to Aurora’s before they came to terms on a peace agreement. Unfortunately, part of that truce had been the "marriage" between Philip and Aurora. When Philip had tried to avoid returning, something happened that left Rose in a coma. Aurora never asked what had happened and Philip refused to speak of it. She suspected it had been as painful as her situation with Mulan.

 

"Dawn said she was free this weekend, so I’ll be gone until Tuesday. I hope that’s alright."

 

Philip had left his daughter, Dawn, with family to protect her. In the end, Philip had 

agreed to return to Storybrooke to ensure that Rose would be taken care of, even if she never awoke from her coma. However, he refused a divorce, so Aurora and Philip never married. But were together as their fathers wished. They had cared more about appearances than an actual marriage, so Philip’s refusal wasn’t a deal breaker.

 

"Okay, that should be fine…As you know, I’m seeing Mulan for breakfast tomorrow. It should be interesting." After a long silence, Philip finally voiced his concerns regarding Aurora’s plan.

 

"Are you sure it’s a good idea? I mean, I don’t think it’s a wise decision. You getting close to Mulan in order to—"

 

"I know what I’m doing Philip. It will be fine…..I don’t trust anyone else to…to do it right. This is too important. She has experience taking down organized crime. We have to have an inside contact who she will trust to tell—"

 

"That’s not what I mean Aurora and you know it." 

 

"I’m not going to discuss this again Philip. My feelings won’t get in the way because there are no feelings." Aurora finished weakly. While she had worked hard to convince everyone that she no longer cared for Mulan, Philip knew the truth.

 

They finished the meal in silence, both lost in their own thoughts. Aurora contemplated how her upcoming breakfast would go and all the ways it could end badly.

 

"I’m just worried," Philip replied softly after they had both finished eating. "Your playing a dangerous game. And if Mulan finds out that your using her," Philip raised his hand to stop Aurora from interrupting.

 

"If she finds out your using her to get information, you’ll break her heart worse than before…Just keep that in mind." With that Philip picked up the plates and started cleaning up their dinner.

 

Aurora wasn’t sure if it was what Philip had said or just the wine or a combination of the two, but she didn’t have a good response. Philip had voiced a thought that had occurred to her, but she had ignored it. She was trying to convince herself that she wasn’t getting close to Mulan just for the information.

 

Deep down, she knew that she had used Mulan’s work as an excuse to talk to her again. She never stopped loving Mulan and that was the truth. She poured herself another glass of wine before heading upstairs.

______________________________

"So….I meant to say this earlier, but I wanted to apologize." Ruby said as they started walking back towards the diner. She continued at Mulan’s confused look, "I know I wasn’t a very good friend to you before you left, and I know you needed someone, but Aurora—"

 

"I understand," Mulan said with a small nod. "You don’t need to apologize……I had Emma and you and Aurora have been friends since forever. But I’m glad we’re friends now."

 

"I am sorry," Ruby said looking into her eyes. She wanted to make sure Mulan accepted her apology, and when it was clear that she had, she continued.

 

"So…. you don’t hate her?" Ruby was genuinely curious and wanted to make sure Mulan wasn’t planning to get back at Aurora. As much as she had her own issues with Aurora, she still she cared deeply about her and felt the need to be protective.

 

"I could never hate her. Yeah, it hurt like hell. But I know why she did it. It was pretty obvious even if she hadn’t left that note. I never got a chance to convince her she was wrong…but I couldn’t get a hold of her. I had to get out of town." Mulan spoke as if forgetting that Ruby was there.

 

"You know it destroyed her right? She never told me why she was so certain your accident was her father’s doing, but she was devastated after she left you." Ruby paused to let Mulan yell at her. But she never did.

 

Ruby suspected there had never been a car accident, but had no way to prove it and she hoped Mulan would correct her. But Mulan didn’t and kept walking at a deliberate pace remaining silent. “I mean, I know you probably don’t need to hear this, but I wanted to say something before you see her tomorrow.” Ruby finished unsure of what else to say.

 

"I don’t know what I was thinking agreeing to that," Mulan stated before releasing a sigh.

 

"Want to come in for a drink?" Ruby asked because they had reached Granny’s diner. "I made sure to get some of your favorite whiskey."

 

"No thanks, I mean I’ll come in. I’d like to keep talking if you don’t mind. It’s to early to go home. If I am left on my own, I’ll just think of all the ways tomorrow can end horribly. But I don’t like to drink while on working on a case."

 

"Okay," Ruby said opening the door. "If you don’t mind my asking, since when do you abstain from drinking?"

 

"Oh, I guess it’s just from working in the city. It wasn’t safe to walking around while less than sober. Especially the work I’ve been doing. Just habit now I guess." Mulan finished while balancing her cane from the counter and taking a seat.

 

Ruby went behind the counter and grabbed a beer for herself and a water for Mulan. She took a seat next to Mulan and continued their conversation.  Ruby started telling Mulan more about what had happened since she left. Granny had retired and Ruby had taken over running the diner and the inn. And Ruby felt the need to vent about everything she had to deal with. From suppliers to customers to maintenance to money. The conversation was easy and Mulan was happy for the distraction.

 

"Oh man sorry to keep you so late." Ruby said around 11:30 pm. "I know I tend to rant when I start talking about my work. Once I get going it gets kinda hard to stop."

 

"Don’t worry about it. And you complain a lot, but I can tell you love your work." Mulan said. "Besides, it was a welcome distraction."

 

"Nervous huh?" Ruby said as she started to pick up her beer bottles to throw away.

 

"Yeah, I guess. I just don’t want to get my hopes up. Plus, I have no idea what she’s looking to get out of it." Mulan said as she grabbed he cane and headed toward the door.

 

"Don’t worry about it. I doubt she’d use you. Just be your regular charming self. I’m sure it’ll be fine. I mean look how easy it was for us to return to our old friendship. I know it’s more complicated than this,” Ruby said motioning between them and continued before Mulan could interrupt.

 

“But I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Ruby finished as she opened the door.

 

"I guess your right," Mulan said as she walked out the door. "Goodnight." She said as Ruby gave her a hug.

 

"Everything will be fine. Just relax. Goodnight." Ruby said as they started going their separate ways. Mulan just nodded and whispered to herself, "Easy for you to say."

____________________________

_ (FLashback) _

_ Ruby, who was lying on the bed, ducked when a blushing Aurora threw another shirt at her. _

 

_ "Stop it!" Ruby continued, "It was only a joke." _

 

_ "Stop joking!!! I need help. Real help. It’s my first date tomorrow!" Aurora whined looking at all the clothes on her floor, which by that point was basically her entire wardrobe, which she had carried to Ruby’s place. _

 

_ "But I was telling the truth. If you wear that shirt", she pointed to one of her tank tops she had offered to let Aurora borrow, "with those shorts, she’ll be ready to rip—" _

 

_ "I said stop!! That’s not what I want…I mean it is….I mean note like…not from a first date. It has be nice, but casual, I mean it is only breakfast. But it has to look cute, no, not cute, hot. Or no…I want to look good. Yeah…and it can’t just be any outfit, it has to be a me outfit. I can’t just steal your clothes. And… I can’t look like I’m trying too hard. But I can’t look like I don’t care. I have to show that I tried. It has to be something that’s me and—" Aurora rambled as she started picking up random clothing and staring before putting them back down. _

 

_ "Aurora!! We’ve been going over this all night." Ruby said standing up. She grabbed her shoulders and looked her in the eye. _

 

_ "Wear whatever you want. I’m sure Mulan doesn’t want you just for your looks. So calm down and just be yourself. Clothing included. Okay?" Aurora just took a deep breath before nodding. _

 

_ "Good point." Aurora said before picking up a bunch of shirts. After a little bit of searching and staring, she finally thought she made a decision so she turned to Ruby and asked. _

 

_ "So…out of these three which do you think…" She trailed off when she realized that Ruby had fallen asleep. _

 

_ Since Ruby rarely fell asleep early, she glanced at the clock and panicked. It was just after 3AM. After letting out a string of swears, she picked a shirt and draped it over her chair with the skirt and shoes she had picked earlier before going to bed. _

_ Once she laid down in bed, she wondered how her plan to pick and outfit and go to bed early had gone all wrong. She thought she had planned it all perfectly, picking an outfit before hand so that she would have more time in the morning to ensure that she’d be on time. She was staying at Ruby’s because it was right next to the diner. Again, so she’d take less time in the morning to get there. _

  
  


_ It didn’t matter anyway. She would wake up early. She managed to do it for class, surely she could do it for a date. Aurora was determined to wake up on time in the morning and with that thought she finally fell asleep. _

_ (End Flashback) _

_ ________________________________ _

Aurora glanced at the clock. “How is it already midnight?” She whispered to herself as she stared at all the clothes on her bed. “I still don’t know what to wear.”

 

"I still don’t see why it matters," Philip replied with a yawn. He was already in his pajamas lying in bed. He was trying to be helpful, but was already half asleep. And he was completely useless, telling Aurora that she looked good in everything.

 

"Of course it matters. I’m seeing Mulan," Aurora stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world. The wine was making her feel like a teenager again.

 

"And no it has nothing to do with feelings," Aurora said before Philip could speak again. 

 

"I need to show her that I care, but not too much. That like we can be friends again. It has nothing to do with feelings. I just want to be friends again. And then she’ll tell me everything about her work. See? It’s about work, nothing to do with…" she trailed off when she looked over at Philip who had fallen asleep. On some level, she knew she was fooling herself, but she let her feelings cloud her judgement and ignored her doubts.

 

"I guess some things never change," she muttered to herself as she threw another shirt on the ground.

_______________________________

Mulan lay in bed staring at the ceiling. She didn’t know why she was so worried. Despite Ruby’s assurances and her own confidence, she was deeply conflicted about meeting with Aurora.

 

Part of her wanted to start over. Get back to where they were before. She still loved Aurora and knew that Aurora did not leave because she stopped loving her. The letter she had left had said as much. But the logical part of her brain kept saying that it was a trick. Aurora had Philip in her life, even if no one seemed sure if they were truly dating or not.

 

Was Aurora just using their history to get the inside scoop of her investigation or was she sincere when she had said she missed her?  Surely this time should be easier than the first time around, which was admittedly pretty difficult. After all she had been through it all before. Then again, the situation now was much more complicated.

 

_ (Flashback) _

_ "Emma, you could at least try to be helpful," Mulan stated as she looked at her friend lying on her bed. _

 

_ "Why? Every time I try to help you yell at me for messing up your nonsensical organizational system. Why didn’t you start packing earlier?" She questioned as she watched her friend wander around some more. She had spent her night watching her friend shift between excitement and anxiety over her upcoming date and frantically packing as she thought of her highly organized father seeing her room such a mess. It was exhausting to watch. She couldn’t imagine how her friend was dealing with it all. _

 

_ "I did start earlier, but I was kind of busy with finals, testing and preparing for the summer." Mulan had to complete physical testing as part of her ROTC program and over the summer she had to take part in a 8 week field training program as well. _

  
  


_ "And my organization makes perfect sense. I explained it already." Mulan felt the need to explain it again. If for no other reason than to distract herself. She motioned to one random set of boxes. _

 

_ “Here, are the boxes I’m storing with you. Thanks again for doing that. I’m taking all this,” she motioned to a couple suitcases and boxes, “home with me. And this is what I’m setting aside for my training,” she said as she pointed to two large green army bags.”And lastly all of this is stuff,” she said pointing at her desk, “I need to use before I leave and I’ll pack it up with the stuff I’m bringing home. See it makes perfect sense.” _

 

_ "Yeah, yeah. You explained it, but I keep it all straight because you keep moving things around. But at least you’ve decided what to wear tomorrow, right?" _

 

_ "Of course…that’s the least of my worries…You’re sure she was interested?" Mulan said anxiously. _

 

_ “I don’t recall seeing any indication that she’s interested. I mean the most we spoke was about schoolwork. What if that’s all she wanted? I mean I guess I could be her homework buddy, she seems like a hard worker. But I haven’t said anything that interesting. Plus, what if I make a fool of myself tomorrow? And really, what can we really accomplish in one date. Gah, I should have asked her out earlier. You were right, I was being an idiot, then we would actually have some time together before the summer.” Mulan rambled as if Emma wasn’t there as she continued her packing to keep busy. _

_ Emma just rolled her eyes at her friend. She had been hearing this speech over and over for the past few hours since dinner. Despite the number of times she tried to reassure her, Mulan seemed to find new ways to doubt herself. _

 

_ "How many times do I have to say this, just be yourself. If she likes you for you, you guys will figure something out. If not, screw her and you’ll find someone who gets your awesomeness. I know for a fact Aurora’s been interested in you for about as long as you have been interested in her." _

 

_ "Will you please just tell me why your so sure?" Mulan had pondered this question since Emma had told her over dinner. The truth was, Emma and Ruby had become quick friends in high school. And their favorite topic for the semester had been Aurora and Mulan. By the time the end of the year rolled around, they had been trying to get them together because of their mutual interest and inability to approach each other. _

 

_ "No…will you just trust me? She’s interested. I trusted you when you said Regina kept staring at me, why can’t you just trust me?" _

 

_ "I do trust you…" Mulan stated before moving a couple more boxes around as she couldn’t decide how much stuff she’d be able to bring home. After that, they discussed their summer plans. Emma was planning to find work in town, and was determined to prove to Regina that she was capable to being responsible and making a commitment. Mulan was going home for a couple weeks before going to her field training. After her training, she was planning to come to Storybrooke early to hang out with Emma and Ruby, and she hoped Aurora would want to see her then too. _

 

_ "Oh geez is that the time?I should get to bed if I want to be awake for breakfast." Mulan said at 10PM. Emma just rolled her eyes and chuckled. _

_ Part of her wanted to warn Mulan that Aurora liked to stay up late and that an early morning breakfast wasn’t the best idea. But she figured if Aurora had agreed to it, she would be there. Plus, Mulan was worried enough, she didn’t think it was necessary to share that piece of information. _

 

_ "Okay. So I guess I won’t see you until next fall then?" _

 

_ "Yeah I guess so….damn I’m so sorry we spent our last night with me packing and talking about Aurora.  For some reason I thought we’d have more time." _

_ "No problem. Hanging out and chatting is fine with me," Emma replied while putting on her shoes. _

 

_ "Have a good summer. We’ll keep in touch," Mulan replied as she went in for a hug. _

 

_ "You too. And definitely. I can’t wait to hear all about your date." Emma left with a small wave and Mulan smiled. Maybe it would fine. It turned out to be a good thing that she kicked Emma out of her room so early. She ended up lying in bed for another couple hours thinking about how her date would go. She thought of all the ways it could go wrong and the ways it could go right. When she finally fell asleep, Mulan believes that everything would go perfectly and Aurora would talk to her all summer. With that thought, she fell asleep with a smile on her face. _

 

_ (End Flashback) _

 

Mulan was lying in her bed, trying to figure out how to approach her upcoming “not a date” with Aurora. She had decided that the first time had in fact been easier, even if it wasn’t necessarily easy. At least then the options were she’s interested in dating or just interested in being a friends. But this time the alternative to her interest was much more painful to consider.

Ultimately, she decided she should just see how it goes and be prepared for every scenario. A decision she did not like. Mulan was trained to be ready. Go in with a plan and be prepared for all the ways it could go wrong. Having no plan at all didn’t sit well at all, but she had no choice. Mulan decided to go in and let Aurora decide where the conversation goes. With that thought in mind, Mulan drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

Meanwhile, Aurora was lying in her bed next to Philip having no idea what to do. All she could think of was all the ways breakfast could go horribly wrong. That Mulan hated her for what she did 7 years ago. Could she forgive her? Did she hate her? Was that the only reason she wanted to meet? To question her actions. She did not think she could handle reliving that moment.

 

Aurora knew that her reasons for going through with the breakfast weren’t the best. She was being selfish, but part of her didn’t care. She missed Mulan and wanted her back in her life. And all the other reasons she brought up were simply excuses. She hoped that none of them would come up. And they would fall into an easy conversation just as they had on their first date. Aurora fell asleep and had a vivid dream about how terribly that first date had started and how amazingly it had ended.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ORIGINALLY POSTED ON TUMBLR 3/4/2013
> 
> Feedback much appreciated :)


	5. CHAPTER 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sleeping Warrior AU. Aurora is the most powerful mob boss in Storybrooke. Her ex-wife, Mulan, is an experienced detective, who has returned to town to help take down organized crime.

Philip was planning to leave really early for his trip, so he woke Aurora before he left the house at six. Aurora made sure to wake up when he left. The memory of her first date with Mulan all those years ago was fresh in her mind. She woke up and took her time getting ready. Unfortunately, she had more wine the night before than she realized and woke up groggy with a small headache. So she took an aspirin and a long refreshing shower to help her wake up. While she had failed to pick out an outfit the night before, she did have a few options laid out and decided on a simple outfit consisting of jeans and a long sleeve shirt. It was a casual choice, but she didn’t want to appear professional at all and wanted to be comfortable more than anything. She was out the door by 6:45 just as she had planned the night before. She would arrive at Granny’s right on time.

Meanwhile, Mulan allowed herself to sleep until 6:30 and take her time getting ready. She didn’t want to seem too anxious meeting Aurora by arriving too early. While she never liked to be late, she planned to arrive by 7:15, which she knew meant that she would probably arrive at Granny’s by 7:10. That way she wouldn’t be too early and give off the impression of being too eager. At least, that’s what she told herself. She knew that she wanted to see Aurora, but the context made it difficult to tell if Aurora felt the same way. Mulan’s thoughts continued to wander as she got dressed wearing slacks and a v-neck tee shirt with a light jacket. Feeling incredibly conflicted, Mulan left her room at 7:05 and entered Granny’s at 7:12 to find Aurora sitting at the booth she usually occupied drinking a cup of coffee looking anxious….and beautiful.

________________________________

_(Flashback)_

_Aurora glanced over at her cell phone and wondered to herself why the hell it was going off so early in the morning, on a Saturday, especially since she was done with her final exams. She turned off the alarm before rolling over in bed and going back to sleep._

_Meanwhile, Mulan was already awake in her dorm and had even gone for a run. She was anxiously preparing for her date with Aurora. She had not slept very well the night before, so when she woke up at 5, she decided to go for a run to expel some of her excess energy. Unfortunately, it did not seem to calm her nerves. Glancing at her clock, it was only 6:15. She knew it took her 11 minutes to walk to Granny’s from her dorm. While she wanted to get to the diner early, she also did not want to arrive too early. If she drank too much coffee before Aurora arrived, the extra caffeine in her system would only make her nervous habits worse. After pacing around her room for a bit, she started fiddling with her hair._

 

_She spent twenty minutes deciding whether to leave her hair down, in braid or in a pony-tale. In the end, she decided to put her hair half up and left by 6:45. Due to her own worries about being late, she walked a little faster than normal and arrived at the diner by 6:53. Mulan took a seat at her regular booth. While she normally sat with her back to the door to avoid distractions as people entered, she sat facing the door and ordered a coffee as she awaited Aurora’s arrival._

 

_At 7:30, Mulan took out her phone to see if Aurora had left a message. She hadn’t. She was starting to worry that Aurora didn’t want to meet, but had said yes out of politeness. But then reminded herself that Aurora had called when she gave her number. She was staring at her phone debating whether she should call or text Aurora to see if she had been held up for some reason. When she heard the door open again she looked up hopeful, but it was just Neal. They made eye contact and her came over to chat. It was a welcome distraction from her own inner turmoil about whether or not she was being stood up._

 

_"Hey, Neal. Why are you in your uniform?" She questioned. Neal was in ROTC with her._

 

_"Hi. Oh Emma is bringing Henry and I wanted to make sure he could see me looking my best. You know so he’d be proud of his papa." Neal replied with a smile and standing up a little straighter as if to make a point. Emma had gotten pregnant after a one night stand in high school. She had decided to keep the baby and Neal was determined to be involved in the child’s life, but they weren’t together. Their shared custody had worked out well. After Henry was born, Neal was determined to become a better person and enrolled in ROTC. It was also the driving factor for Emma to improve her grades to get into college._

 

_"Ummmm…Isn’t he like two years old? Does he really know the difference?"  Mulan questioned, and Neal just shrugged in response._

 

_"I don’t know…when do babies start having meaningful memories? Either way, I’d like his first memories to be something he can be proud of you know?" Mulan knew that Neal wanted to be a great father and she was certain that he would be. His own father had abandoned him and his mother when he was a teenager and it was something that bothered him a lot._

 

_"Plus, Regina has gotten to spend time with him, so I figured I should too. And I wanted to make sure I spent as much time with him as possible before we ship out."_

_Mulan nodded distractedly as she checked her phone again for a message. When the door opened again, she looked up hopefully and let out a disappointed sigh when she saw that it wasn’t Aurora._

 

_"You expecting someone?" Neal asked noticing her actions._

 

_"Remember that girl I was telling you about? The one I gave my number to? She finally called me and we set-up a date to meet this morning…It was the only time I was free and I’m leaving this afternoon. My parents said they’ll be here at one. And my father is never late. So I asked to meet early so we’d have plenty of time before I had to leave…I guess she’s not coming."  At that moment, Emma entered carrying Henry with Regina following behind her. Mulan let out another sigh after seeing that it wasn’t Aurora who entered._

 

_"Don’t worry about it. It’s her loss. And you never know. She could be on her way. After all, it’s still not too late to be fashionably late right?" Neal ended with a joke hoping to cheer Mulan up. He said his goodbye as Mulan waved to Emma, before Neal headed over to sit with Regina, Emma and Henry for breakfast. Mulan just smiled and waved as a greeting, and Emma just smiled in return giving a thumbs up for encouragement._

_Mulan just stared at her phone debating what she should do. Neal’s presence was a good temporary distraction and she watched his breakfast with Regina, Emma and their son as she contemplated her options. Would it be too pushy to call? How late was late enough to ask if everything was okay? Was she being stood up? Maybe Aurora changed her mind. Or maybe she was just running late. But if that was the case wouldn’t she had called or something? The more time that passed, the more Mulan doubted that she had been interested. She decided to have one more cup of coffee before leaving._

 

_(End Flashback)_

 

When Aurora entered the diner at 6:55 and didn’t see Mulan, she was worried she had mistaken the day and time that they had agreed upon. And since they had made the plans in person, she had no way to confirm that she had the right time and place. She sat down and ordered a coffee to calm her nerves. She reiterated to herself that Mulan wouldn’t stand her up. Of that, she was certain. Mulan might have changed a lot since they were together, but Mulan’s sense of honor and pride would never allow her to do something so….rude.  Or maybe she had. Aurora was starting to doubt how well she knew her.

 

The new Mulan had moved to the city and chased heartless criminals and taken so many risks that just reading about it had frightened Aurora. No, she couldn’t think like that. She knew Mulan….while some things change, the core of who a person was….their soul wouldn’t change. Aurora began an internal battle about whether or not Mulan and herself had changed too much. And whether or not any attempt to reconnect would be worth the effort or if it was simply a waste of time.

 

By the time Mulan entered Granny’s, Aurora was so caught up in her own thoughts that she didn’t notice. Mulan seemed stunned just by seeing Aurora sitting there that she paused at the door. Her own thoughts drifted to how this breakfast would go. Was it really worth it to revisit the pain? Would they be able to reconnect? Was Aurora actually interested in being her friend or was it a plot to find out how her investigation was going? She stopped herself from descending into that thought spiral and started walking over to the booth.

 

She sat down before Aurora even noticed that she had entered the diner. Mulan and Aurora made eye contact and held it for a good minute before either of them spoke. Aurora watched Mulan lean her cane against a table, a physical reminder of everything that had happened since they were last together.

 

"Hi."Aurora spoke first with the hint of a smile on her face. Happy to see that Mulan had not stood her up. But after spending almost twenty minutes sitting there thinking of how this breakfast could go, Aurora internally berated herself for not thinking of anything better to say.

 

_(Flashback)_

 

_Aurora rolled over in bed and shielded her eyes from the sunlight that was coming in the window. She was slowly waking up and thought of the day ahead. She was so looking forward to seeing Mulan and having actual conversation with her. She could get to know her. She would have a real conversation with Mulan.  She was so looking forward to getting to know more about her over breakf—_

 

_Aurora shot up, sitting in bed and pulled out her phone to get a look at the time. There was no way the sun should be hitting her face on the bed unless….it was indeed after 7 AM, it was already 8. Aurora vaguely recalled her alarm going off at 6…but she had gone back to sleep. She was already an hour late. She jumped out of bed and changed as fast as she could all the while spouting swears as she went._

 

_After five minutes, she was running out the door, trying to fix her hair as she went. By 8:11, she stopped right outside of Granny’s and took a deep breath. She tried to fix her hair and make sure she looked alright. But she had dressed very quickly and it showed. Her hair was a mess and she didn’t realize that her shirt was on inside out. She looked in the door and saw Mulan, who was staring at her phone and didn’t see Aurora looking through the window. She was sitting at her regular booth._

 

_Well at least she hadn’t left yet. But Mulan did look upset. Aurora already felt bad by oversleeping and seeing Mulan upset made her feel worse. Unsure of how Mulan would react to her late arrival, she took a deep breath and entered. She started speaking as soon as she sat down._

 

_"I’m so sorry I’m late. I overslept. I was so nervous about today that I couldn’t fall asleep. I slept through my alarm. I AM SO SORRY. I totally understand if you don’t want to meet anymore. I know it was wrong to be so late. But I totally didn’t do it on purpose. And I totally understand if you don’t want to see me again. Bye." Aurora rambled before getting up to leave feeling terrible, but believed that Mulan would no longer be interested. She was stopped when she felt a hand on her wrist. She turned around to see Mulan looking up at her with a small smile on her face._

 

_"You know the best way to apologize would be to sit and spend time with me. Besides, I never believed you would give up whatever this is before we even had a chance to start. Or was I wrong about you?" Mulan looked as if she was suppressing a laugh and Aurora gaped at her for a second before sitting back down._

 

_"So, sleeping beauty, are you trying to make a fashion statement?" Mulan decided to speak first since Aurora seemed ready to bolt at any second._

 

_"Your shirt," Mulan stated while pointing when Aurora looked thoroughly confused. When she looked down, she was blushing furiously. Her shirt was on inside out. How had she been so careless  Well, she knew the reason. She had rushed to get out of the room as quickly as possible. But apparently the universe felt the need to embarrass her some more._

 

_"Oh…no, not a fashion statement. I kind of threw on my shirt rather quickly. I overslept this morning, despite the fact that I set an alarm and everything. I just wanted to get here as quickly as possible to make sure I didn’t miss this."_

 

_"Ah, well you know you could have sent a message or called? Instead of running out of Ruby’s room without fixing your hair."_

 

_"My hair?" Aurora replied before reaching up to fix it again. "Wait….how did you know I stayed at Ruby’s place last night?"_

 

_"Oh…she might have mentioned it in passing," Mulan replied looking at her hands a little embarrassed that she knew._

 

_“I might have….asked Ruby what you were up to all week to see why you hadn’t called me sooner and she mentioned that you were staying at her place because you were worried about being late.” She said as if speaking quickly would hide the fact that she had asked about Aurora….a lot. However, Aurora heard every word of it and smiled widely. So she was definitely interested! She was doing a small victory dance in her head before speaking._

 

_"Yeah, about that. I know I should have called sooner, but I was nervous about what to say." Aurora stated. " I didn’t want to make a fool of myself…though I guess it’s too late for that." Mulan actually let out a small chuckle before releasing her own smile, which relaxed Aurora when she realized Mulan was not holding it against her that she had been so late._

 

_(End Flashback)_

 

"Hi," Mulan replied also unsure of what to say. "Ready to order?" she asked without needing to look at the menu. Aurora looked for the waitress who came right over. They were the only ones present in the diner so there was no delay.

 

"I guess some things never change," Aurora commented after they ordered. When Mulan gave her a questioning look, she continued. "You’ve ordered the same breakfast at Granny’s since college. Have you even tried anything else on the menu?" Aurora asked trying to keep the conversation light.

 

"Well, I have tried your favorite waffles, and the omelette you like to order. As well as the toast, french toast, cereal and oatmeal. All at your insistence I might add. But I know what I like. Give me pancakes, sausage and bacon any time." Mulan finished with a smirk.

"And eggs too. You can’t forget the eggs." Aurora added as she recalled the one time they did not give Mulan eggs with her breakfast and how cross Mulan had been for the rest of that breakfast.

 

"Of course not. And not just any eggs."

 

"Scrambled eggs." Aurora finished her sentence with a smile.

A short pause quickly turned into a prolonged silence neither of them sure of what to say next. The level of uncertainty that had never been a problem in any of their previous conversations became obvious as they both stared at their coffee mugs, unsure of where to take the conversation.

 

_(Flashback)_

_After that the waitress came over and took their order. Aurora order waffles with extra syrup and Mulan ordered Granny’s special which included pancakes, bacon, sausage and eggs. When Aurora looked up what Mulan had ordered she stared wide-eyed at her for a brief second before speaking._

 

_"How on earth do you eat so much food? I mean you don’t look like you can eat that much more than I do." Aurora stopped herself there before she started talking about how beautiful she thought Mulan looked and how attractive she found her musculature._

 

_"Cause I exercise a lot? I guess…being in ROTC requires a lot of physical activity and I have to keep my energy up. So I am used to eating a lot." Mulan replied with a shrug._

 

_"What about you? What extracurricular activities do you do?" Mulan asked trying to keep the conversation going. From there the conversation seemed to come pretty easily between them. Aurora talked about her love of art and helping others. And explained that she spent some of her free time helping out with the younger children at the local art center. And despite how much she wanted to pursue a degree in drawing or painting or possibly teaching. But her father was pressuring her to study business. However, she was quick to divert the conversation away from her father, because his work was the last thing she wanted to talk about at length. Aurora discussed her desire to leave Storybrooke and travel seeing as she had never traveled more than an hour’s drive from Storybrooke. And told many stories of her and Ruby growing up and their adventures which usually got them into trouble._

 

_Mulan spoke of her desire to serve her country with honor and her fears of letting down her father and family legacy. She spoke of visiting family in China and some of her travels. Aurora was a little jealous that she had gotten to visit many countries, but Mulan seemed to dislike the amount of times her family had moved for her fathers foreign assignments. She seemed to crave stability and was looking forward to having a home base of sorts in Storybrooke for four years. Mulan also told many stories about her comrades in ROTC. Aurora knew Neal and Killian as they were both from Storybrooke, but had never heard about Yao or Ling before. Apparently, they were a funny pair as Mulan had many stories to tell about their antics during physical training._

 

_Since they were speaking so much, they ate rather slowly. They had both finished eating around 10:30 and continued speaking after. Aurora ordered some more coffee, while Mulan switched to tea joking about how she had reached her limit due to the extra two cups she had consumed during her wait for Aurora._

 

_(End Flashback)_

 

The length of their silence was starting to feel unbearable. Aurora could only think of it as a sign that they would never be close again. And Mulan took it as a sign that Aurora’s intentions may be personal after all, but she still had her doubts. However, she decided to voice the one thought that had been bothering her.

 

"So….how’d you meet Philip?"

 

"Oh," Aurora wasn’t sure how she should phrase it.

 

"Ummmm…our father’s….worked together…sort of." As she responded, Aurora started to wonder if Mulan was only meeting with her to gain insight into her investigation. She didn’t know how the thought never really occurred to her before.

 

"Oh….so your father worked with his?"

 

"Hmmmmm….kind of….they were competitors before they became partners….Me and Philip being together kind of helped that along," Aurora said carefully.

 

"And Philip doesn’t mind that your meeting with me?" Mulan was really trying to figure if they were in fact dating and in love. No one seemed to know why they weren’t married since they had been together for years and they did live together.

 

"No, why would he?" Aurora responded without thinking before she realized that she had said the wrong thing. "I mean, he knows…he knows nothing will happen with us…and he trusts me." It wasn’t a complete lie. Aurora knew she was in trouble if she had to say she loved him because it simply wasn’t true.

 

Mulan wasn’t sure what to make of that response. Aurora seemed to be very careful in her wording which made her wonder if they were truly in love, or dating. But they lived together, that had to mean something, she was sure of it.

 

"So he knows about us then?"

 

"Of course he knows about us. How could he not? Everyone I work with knows about our history together. Besides, we have no secrets he knows exactly how much I—" Aurora stopped herself realizing that she was about to reveal too much information. She couldn’t reveal her true feelings to Mulan, no matter how comfortable she felt speaking with her. Aurora cleared her throat before speaking again.

 

"We have a very honest, open relationship together. Both personally and professionally." Mulan looked skeptical, but didn’t have a chance to question it as their food arrived at that moment. They both focused on their food contemplating what to say next and pondering whether to consider this meal a success.

 

_(Flashback)_

_Around 11:30, Mulan apologized saying she had to get going to finish packing before her family arrived and asked for the check._

 

_"No need to apologize. I understand, I just can’t believe we’ve been talking for 3 hours already I guess time really does fly when your having fun" Aurora stated with a smile._

 

_"Yeah, it was really fun wasn’t it? Even if you were….just a smidge late." Mulan finished with a grin. "What are you doing?" Mulan asked when Aurora quickly grabbed the check as soon as the waitress set it down on the table._

 

_"I’m paying. Duh. I asked you out on the date, I’m the one who should pay. Besides, you were patient enough to wait for me when I was an hour late. This is my way of saying thanks for waiting and I’m sorry I was so late." Mulan seemed to think about Aurora said for a second before replying._

 

_"Fine," she said though she seemed to be having trouble allowing Aurora to pay. "Even though I was technically the one to ask you out, I’ll let you pay. It was worth the wait, so you don’t need to apologize."_

 

_"But next time I’m paying."Aurora smiled and stopped herself from jumping up when she stated excitedly,_

 

_“So there’s going to be a next time?”_

 

_"Well….yeah…unless you don’t want there to be?" Mulan said suddenly unsure of herself looking down in her lap. Aurora laid down the money before reaching over and grabbing Mulan’s hand._

 

_"Of course. I would love to go on a second date with you." Aurora said with a smile once Mulan looked up._

 

_"Cool," Mulan replied quietly. "So what are you up to this summer? I am going home for a bit and then I have training. But I was planning…" Mulan trailed off when she saw the door open. A large smile appeared on her face, before practically squealing,_

 

_"SHANG!" She jumped up suddenly and ran over to the guy who had just entered._

_Aurora was startled by the sudden action by Mulan and just looked over and saw Mulan hugging this mystery man. He looked to be a few inches taller than Mulan and she had to admit he looked handsome in his army uniform. If she had to guess, she would say he was a couple years older than Mulan and also of Asian descent. He held her in a hug lifting her up and spinning her around._

 

_"I thought you weren’t coming home for another six months." Aurora overheard her say, and despite herself she started to feel a little jealous that Mulan seemed so happy to see him._

 

_"I wasn’t, but dad pulled a couple strings and got my unit sent home early with extra downtime. He’s been pushing for more rest between deployments and I guess we got to be the guinea pigs." Shang replied to Mulan’s question._

 

_"Oh, sorry….this is Aurora." Mulan said as she walked towards the booth. "She’s my….uh…friend. Aurora, this is Shang, he’s my older brother." Aurora felt relieved when she heard that, but a little disappointed that Mulan had called her a friend. But she was definitely happy she had gone to the bathroom earlier to fix her shirt._

 

_"Brother, you didn’t mention you had a brother" Aurora said questioningly while shaking his hand. Mulan just shrugged as they all sat down. Mulan sat down next to Aurora and Shang sat down across from them._

 

_"So your just a friend?" Shang asked looking between them. He had noticed Aurora’s disappointed look earlier. She wasn’t sure how to respond and looked to Mulan. It never came up in their discussion whether or not they were out to their families._

 

_"Friend…for now… and hopefully something more?" Mulan replied. Without saying anything, Aurora nodded and subtly grabbed Mulan’s hand under the table causing a smile to appear on Mulan’s face._

 

_"So Eric couldn’t make it?" Mulan asked looking at Shang._

 

_"Eric?" Aurora questioned. She couldn’t help but think Mulan had left out a lot during their conversation which had been quite extensive._

 

_"Our younger brother," Shang replied. "School is still in session you know. Just because college is done for summer doesn’t mean we’re all on break. Honestly, how quickly do you forget? By the way, I hear he has a girlfriend." He continued  with a conspiratorial look._

 

_"We have a bone to pick with him. He has purposefully embarrassed both of us in front of our girlfriends before," Mulan explained to Aurora who looked very confused. "Well, it’s a good thing we have the whole ride home to figure out what to do about that." Mulan replied to Shang grinning evilly._

 

_"Oh, I know! Ruby and I used to do this all the time in high school. " Aurora interjected._

 

_"So at the B &B a lot of couples from our school would come to avoid their parents," she felt the need to give some extra background for Shang. "We would knock on the door and flirt with one or both of them or pretend we had met with them there earlier." _

 

_"I like this one. She’s a keeper." Shang replied with a wink before getting up and walking toward the door. Both Mulan and Aurora turned around confused by his actions. As soon as Mulan saw her parents at the door, she quickly let go of Aurora’s hand before shooting Aurora an apologetic look. Then she got up to follow her brother to greet their parents. Well, this certainly wasn’t something she was expecting on a first date._

_Aurora observed from a distance as Mulan stiffly hugged her father and held her mother in a long hug. Mulan’s father definitely looked like he could be from a military background with the stern look on his face. He wasn’t particular large or intimidating physically, about the same height as Shang, but he had an air about him that was just intimidating. She was certain she would never want to get on his bad side. Mulan was actually taller than her mother, who just seemed to glow with warmth and joy at seeing her only daughter._

 

_After giving the family time to greet each other, Aurora took a deep breath before getting up preparing herself to walk over and say hello. But before she took a step she saw Mulan turn and walk back over as her family headed out the door._

 

_"So…that’s your family huh?" Aurora said._

 

_"Yeah…so….I have to go now."_

 

_"I can see that."_

 

_"But I’m planning to come back to Storybrooke in early August. Will you be around?"_

 

_"Probably. Like I said, I’ve never really left town."_

 

_"Okay…..would you like to….I mean when I come back." Mulan paused taking a deep breath. "So I’ll take you out on a second date when I get back?"_

 

_"Definitely. And you can tell me all about your summer….but you’ll call me before then, right?"_

 

_"Of course, sleeping beauty. Of course, I will." Mulan finished with a smile and a lingering hug before heading out the door._

 

_(End Flashback)_

 

"How’s your work going?" Aurora asked tentatively after they ate in silence for a few minutes. It was the only thing she could think to ask, forgetting the implications.

 

"Do you really want to talk about that?" Mulan questioned. "Or is that why your here?" She finished sounding upset whether it was due to  anger or sadness Aurora couldn’t tell.

 

"NO," Aurora said a little more loudly than she had intended, "I didn’t…that’s not…I would never." Aurora stopped herself by taking a deep breath.  The question had hurt more than she thought it could, but then again she never expected Mulan to ask her outright.

 

"Oh….I believe you." Mulan stated in a quiet tone. When Aurora hadn’t danced around the subject, she felt reassured that Aurora’s intentions weren’t purely professional. She was a little surprised by how Aurora reacted to her question, and yet comforted at the same time.

 

"Work is going well. We’ve made some progress." Mulan answered the question keeping it vague and hoping that Aurora wouldn’t ask for details. And to her relief, she didn’t.

 

"That’s…good. I guess."

 

"Yeah…….Emma has become a bit of a workaholic….but I think it’s just a distraction with Regina in the hospital and all that."

 

"That makes sense. How is Regina doing?" Aurora asked even though she already knew the answer. She had tensed slightly at the mention of Regina, but Mulan had missed it.

 

"Good. She’s healing well. Emma said she gets to come home next week." Mulan stated and then started wondering if it was safe to share that information with Aurora. While Emma was certain Aurora had nothing to do with that accident, Mulan was still unsure, but she had no idea why. She had yet to look at that file.

 

"I’m glad to hear that." Aurora said with a tight smile as she was trying to keep the guilt from entering her voice. Another prolonged silence occurred, but it somehow felt more comfortable than the ones earlier during the meal. Once they both finished eating and the plates were cleared away, Aurora couldn’t hold back the question she had been pondering.

 

"Can I….uhhh….ask you something?"

"Sure?"

"Why now?"

"Huh?"

 

"After all this time, why did you come back now. And don’t say the work stuff. Because that stuff has been going on for years now. Why did you return now?" Mulan seemed to be thinking of the answer. Aurora could not think of anything else to say about once she voiced that question.

 

When the check came, Mulan grabbed it to pay for both of them, but Aurora didn’t question it and smiled politely.

 

_(Flashback)_

_Aurora watched Mulan leave before sitting to finish her cup of coffee, all with a smile on her face. She returned to Ruby’s room and grabbed all of the clothing she had brought over the night before. Then she returned to her own dorm room to pack. She wasn’t moving out until the next day so she took her time before returning to the diner to hang out with Ruby._

_Aurora found that she couldn’t stop smiling for the rest of the day. Something Ruby was quick to point out. It didn’t take long for Ruby to get bored hearing all about the date. Aurora was so happy, she didn’t care. The date had gone well despite the horrendous start. And when Belle came in, she got to retell the story all over again, which excited her more than she realized. Around 4, Aurora heard the door open, but was too busy speaking to Belle to see who it was._

 

_"Oh good. I thought you’d be here." Aurora turned when she heard the familiar voice. But was cut off before she could speak. "I don’t have much time. I have to go soon and Shang can only stall for so long. But I wanted to make sure I did something before I left." Mulan said quickly in a decisive tone._

 

_Before she could say anything, she felt Mulan’s lips against her own. For a brief second her eyes widened in surprise before she closed them,  thoroughly enjoying the kiss. It was a simple kiss, just lips touching lips. Aurora wrapped her arms around Mulan trying to remember every detail about this moment. She kept her eyes closed a second after it ended leaning her forehead against Mulan’s. When she opened her eyes, Mulan was staring at her with a smile on her face._

 

_"I’ll call you. And we’ll talk as often as possible before I come back. I promise, sleeping beauty."_

 

_"Good." Aurora agreed smiling at her new nickname._

 

_And with that Mulan turned and left with a smile on her face that matched Aurora’s. After a moment of happy silence, Ruby and Belle chimed in making jokes at Aurora’s expense. But she didn’t care. The first date that had almost been a disaster, had ended with a kiss. Even if the kiss was a few hours later, she didn’t care. It counted as a kiss on the first date. And it was perfect._

_(End Flashback)_

 

When Mulan got up to leave after paying for the meal she turned to Aurora and finally answered the lingering question in a quiet voice. She had been thinking of the response the entire time and contemplating how to voice it.

 

"You know my father passed away last year?" Mulan continued not waiting for an answer. She spoke very deliberately as if she was thinking of the right words to say as she spoke.

 

"He said some things… things….that he’s never said to me before. Things that made me think…..He said that he was honored to have me as his daughter. He was proud of everything I had done." Mulan paused in order to keep her emotions in check.

 

"He also said that I was fighting the wrong battles and that I should be fighting somewhere else…Something that was worth the scars, pain and sacrifices. The thing worth fighting for….It wasn’t in the city…..He was right….I came back to fight for it…..To fight with everything I have."

 

Mulan finished decisively keeping her eyes locked with Aurora’s. After maintaining their eye contact for a few seconds after she finished speaking, Mulan turned and left the diner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted 3/6/13
> 
> Feedback much appreciated :)


	6. CHAPTER 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sleeping Warrior AU. Aurora is the most powerful mob boss in Storybrooke. Her ex-wife, Mulan, is an experienced detective, who has returned to town to help take down organized crime.

Aurora contemplated Mulan’s final words for the rest of the night. She returned home, where she was currently sitting on her couch downing a bottle of wine. She was playing with her old wedding band and staring at it as if it would answer her questions.

What did she mean? Fight with everything she has? Was she talking about Aurora? Was she there to fight for her? What did she mean? Or was she even talking about her? Did Mulan have something else in Storybrooke to fight for? Something worth fighting for…something worth fighting for…someone worth fighting for? A place? A relationship? What on earth was Mulan talking about?

Aurora wasn’t sure which though bothered her more, that Mulan was there to fight for her, or for some other “thing”? Aurora bounced back and forth between the two potential answers. Either way, Aurora was going to everything in her power to keep Mulan at arms length…and safe. With that on her mind, she passed out on the couch.

_ (Flashback) _

_ Aurora returned home after another long day. She knew that Mulan wouldn’t be able to call everyday, but she was still worried about her safety. After all she was in the middle of a war zone, even if her exact location was classified. It had only been a week since Mulan left, and she was adjusting to life without her. A week without being able to speak to her and seeing her smiling face at night. She toyed with the ring Mulan had given her before her deployment. _

_ Being in the apartment they shared was difficult on this day with all the reminders that Mulan was gone. After a stressful day, she always enjoyed coming home and ranting to Mulan who would always listen patiently and always managed to say the right thing to make her feel better. She arrived home late since she had gone to the diner to see Ruby. It was better than coming home. Her best friend was incredibly supportive and hadn’t complained that Aurora had visited everyday since Mulan had left. She needed to be around people she cared for. But eventually it was time to return home. _

_ When she turned on the light, she saw someone standing in their living room looking at one of the pictures that was on the table. Aurora froze for a moment staring, as her father put the photo back down onto the table. _

_ "How did you get in here?" Aurora said angrily once she found her voice. _

_ "Surely you know the answer to that question as well as I do princess." Her father replied calmly. _

_ "Fine. Then, what are you doing here?" Aurora asked angrily. She thought she had made herself perfectly clear at graduation that she did not want to see him. _

_ "I want you to come back." _

_ "Come back where? I’m not moving back home father." _

_ "Back to the business." _

_ Aurora had no idea why he would request her return now. Surely, he was aware that she had no desire to join her father’s business. Aurora had made that perfectly clear during their previous conversation. And it seemed as if her father had respected her wishes. Apparently, he had changed his mind. _

_ "I know that you are….hesitant to return. However, I can make it worth it. I can ensure that you don’t have to pay rent. Provide plenty of spending money. I know the army doesn’t pay that well, and neither does Cinderella for that matter." _

_ "We make enough." Aurora replied tersely. _

_ "And I would never ask you to do anything….dangerous." _

_ "No. I made that perfectly clear last time you asked. What makes you think I changed my mind now?" _

_ "Well, I thought since your…friend was gone that you would think for yourself. And not let her influence your response." _

_ "First of all, she’s my GIRLfriend. And second of all I’m actually a little insulted you think that I would be so easily swayed. Do you really think that she had anything to do with my decision not to join you?" _

_ "Then, why did you stay in town? If not to defy her once she left." _

_ "I stayed…" Aurora wasn’t sure what the answer to that had been. She insisted she stay in town despite Mulans arguing that Aurora should be able to escape from his influence. "We stayed, because I have friends here. Ruby, Belle, Emma. They’re all in town and I wanted friends around when Mulan left. It had nothing to do with you and your…work." _

_ "I see. Well, I’ll give you some time to think about it then." _

_ "There’s nothing to consider. I’ve —" _

_ "How sure are you of your friends safety? Don’t forget, a war zone is a dangerous place. A lot can can go wrong…Goodnight princess." He did not wait for a reply before leaving. Aurora didn’t move for a full minute after he left. Had he just threatened Mulan? That wasn’t possible. Not at all. Mulan was in the middle of a war zone, far from her father’s influence. That didn’t stop the chill running up her spine. _

_ ________________________ _

_ A month later, she had forgotten her father’s threat. She assumed it was an empty threat and Mulan was safe, well as safe as she could be in the middle of a war zone. Aurora was working at Cinderella’s dress shop when she got the news. _

_ Mulan had been wounded. It wasn’t anything too serious, but it required rehabilitation and Mulan was being sent home for the time being. Aurora wasn’t sure if it was her father’s doing, she didn’t think his influence could go that far. But Mulan’s presence was enough to calm her nerves. After a few months, Aurora forgot about her father’s threat, or at least pushed it to the back of her mind. And when he never made an appearance to make a larger threat or speak of his actions, she was certain that Mulan’s wounds were unrelated. Mulan stayed in Storybrooke for a year rehabbing her injury before returning to her unit. _

_ In that year, they married and bought a small condo near the center of town. Aurora felt safe and did not think of her father again. _

_ (End Flashback) _

Aurora woke suddenly. Her head was pounding and the sun was streaming through the window onto her face. She thought about the night before and different memories were swimming in her mind. Between the day before and her dreams, her head felt full and the wine from the night before didn’t help. Deciding that she needed her favorite hangover food, she took some aspirin before hopping in the shower and heading to Granny’s.

"Geez, you look like hell." Ruby said as she sat at the counter.

"Hangover special please." Aurora said with a grimace. As glad as she was that Ruby was able to speak to her with the same casualness as she used to, Aurora was too distracted to really enjoy the moment.

"Coming right up," Ruby replied with a small smile.

Aurora was nursing her coffee and preoccupied with her own thoughts that she didn’t hear the door open. Nor did she hear the footsteps behind her as they approached the counter. However, she couldn’t ignore the familiar voice that came from behind her.

"Hey Ruby," Mulan said leaning over the counter right next to Aurora, "I’ll get my usual."

"Sure thing," Ruby replied with a smile. 

Mulan did a double take seeing that Aurora was suffering from an obvious hangover.

"What happened to you?" Mulan said with a smirk. 

Aurora spoke without thinking and just whispered, “You.”

Mulan stared at her not knowing how to respond to that before turning to sit down. Ruby watched the interaction and just shook her head thinking about how they really hadn’t changed from those awkward college kids who didn’t know how to talk to each other. Aurora once again became preoccupied by her own thoughts until Ruby snapped her out of it.

"Can I give you some advice?" Ruby asked, but continued not waiting for an answer. "If you want to be with her again, go for it. But Aurora you have to go all in. And not because of her work…or your work either. For her. I’m sure you have reasons for not going after her. And not returning even after your dad died. But you still care for her." Ruby continued at Aurora’s questioning look.

"I know you tried to bury that, but I knew you way before any of that, Plus, it’s written all over your face sweetie…Just…just don’t hurt her again. Cause you’ll only hurt yourself worse." Ruby said. And not waiting for Aurora to respond, Ruby walked over to give Mulan her breakfast.

Aurora glanced over her shoulder and saw Ruby and Mulan acknowledge each other. She missed her old life and wanted it back. There was just so much holding her back. Her past and her fears kept her from pursuing what she truly wanted.

Aurora turned back to her food contemplating how to get what she wanted and trying to figure out what it was she truly wanted. But her painful memories and the past was too much for her to ignore.

****_ (Flashback) _

_ For two years, Aurora adjusted to life in Storybrooke with Mulan fighting abroad. It was difficult but the routine was set and she was counting down the days until Mulan’s commitment was up. It changed sooner than she would have liked, but she was happy to have her wife back. _

_ Mulan was severely wounded she was given an honorable discharge. Something she was not happy about. Aurora didn’t understand it. Mulan kept saying that she had not fulfilled her duty. Aurora did her best to console the cranky Mulan, but it really just took time for Mulan to accept the truth. _

_ A month after Aurora found out Mulan wasn’t leaving again she thought she saw her father more often. It was unusual to say the least. He never confronted her. He didn’t make any more threats. He was just there. She was seeing him around town more and it was scaring her more than she wanted to admit. Then, a week after Mulan was released from the hospital and returned home, she received a phone call that scared her more than anything. _

_ ”Hello?” _

_ "Good afternoon princess." Aurora froze and paused for a moment before responding angrily. _

_ "What do you want?" _

_ "Is that any way to speak to your father?" _

_ "Father, why are you calling? I haven’t heard from you in years." _

_ "I was calling you to, again….offer you a chance to join the family business." _

_ "No. Nothing has changed." _

_ "Ah, are you sure?" _

_ "Yes." _

_ "I’ll give you more time to consider the proposal." _

_ "There is nothing to—" _

_ "Be sure to tell your wife she looks good in that leather jacket of hers, especially with that purple top she was wearing today. But I’m sure you prefer the tank top she likes to sleep in. However, I do think she looked quite sharp in the suit she wore around town last week while looking for a job. But her army uniform doesn’t look half bad either. Wouldn’t you say?….My offer still stands. I’ll be sure to contact you about a response soon, princess." _

_ ______________________________ _

_ Aurora entered the house after another long day of work, but looking forward to seeing Mulan in their home. _

_ "Mulan? I’m sorry I’m late, we had—" She stopped mid sentence when she entered the living room terrified at the sight. Her father was standing with the sleeves of his shirt rolled up looking over his shoulder. Mulan was tied to a chair with bruises on her face and her shirt partially ripped.  _

_ "No…Mulan….stop!" Aurora ran forward but was grabbed by was stopped by a pair of strong hands on her shoulders. "No, father…stop!" _

_ Aurora said when she saw her father take another couple shots at Mulan. _

_ "I warned you princess. But you wouldn’t listen…Did you really think it was just a threat? Do you believe me now?" He said as he turned around looking Aurora in the eye. _

_ "I…I’ll come back…please…just….let her go." Aurora said sobbing.  _

_ "I don’t think I believe you…you defied me multiple times. I can’t just accept something you exclaim when you see her in danger" He said before turning to face Mulan. He punched twice more in the face and a few more times in the ribs. Mulan didn’t make a sound and that scared Aurora even more. _

_ "I promise…please…you have my word. I’ll come back…just leave…leave her alone." Aurora pleaded. "I promise, I’ll do anything you want." _

_ Her father simply stood up and looked her in the eye. _

_ "Okay" he said. "After tonight, you come home and she goes free." He said as he turned around taking out a knife. Aurora froze at the sight, but relaxed slightly when he went behind Mulan to cut the ropes from her wrists. Mulan almost fell off the chair but he stopped her. He stared right at Aurora as he took the knife and thrust it into Mulan’s side.  _

_ "MULAN!" Aurora shouted as she sat up suddenly in bed. It had been one week since her father had called her and her nightmares were only getting worse. _

_ "Aurora?" Mulan said sleepily. "What is it?" she continued as she turned on the bedside lamp. Mulan sat up gingerly as the gash across her stomach was still sore. Aurora wasn’t able the speak her nightmare still fresh in her mind. So Mulan just sat there rubbing her back and making soothing sounds. Aurora leaned into her for support. _

_ "So do you want to talk about it?" Mulan asked softly as Aurora was leaning against her shoulder. Aurora usually told Mulan all about her nightmares, but she couldn’t bring herself to reveal the most recent ones. _

_ “You realize this is the fourth time this week you’ve woken up screaming? What is it?” Mulan asked her voice full of worry. “Is it really that scary that I got a job as a deputy? You realize it’s safer that fighting in a war?” Mulan tried joking to cheer her up. Aurora just shook her head. _

_ "It’s nothing…I…I’m just happy to have you home, safe." Aurora replied softly before moving to lie back down. "Let’s just go back to sleep." _

_ "Okay," Mulan replied despite her own curiosity regarding Aurora’s recent string of nightmares. Aurora had always had nightmares and they usually had to do with her father. But Aurora usually told her all about them so Mulan was worried about Aurora being secretive about them now. Also, they were more frequent than before. Mulan was worried and Aurora knew it. _

_ Aurora couldn’t fall back asleep. She wrapped herself around Mulan as she usually did and tried to think of a solution to her current predicament. _

_ ____________________________ _

_ It took her a month of work, but Aurora had something she could use against her father. She had found paperwork and documents as well as witnesses, people who had left Storybrooke and no longer feared her father. People who would be willing to go against him. She had worked endlessly  but she had to protect herself, her friends, and Mulan from any further threats from her father. It would be enough to keep him away and scare him into leaving her alone. She was sure of it. _

_ Standing outside “The Castle”, Aurora took a deep breath before entering. “The Castle” was a restaurant and bar that her father ran. It was where he conducted most of his business. She walked through the restaurant past the bar, through the kitchen into the back office. Her father’s guards let her pass barely acknowledging her. She paused outside his door and took a deep breath before entering. _

_ Hearing her enter, her father looked up and smiled when he saw her. He waved away the men he was speaking with telling them they would finished their conversation later. _

_ "Aurora, my little princess, it’s so good to see you here. I’m glad I didn’t have to come find you again. I take this to mean your coming home." He said as he stood and walked towards her going in for a hug only to be stopped by her hand on his chest. _

_ "No…I’m not coming home. I’m never coming back. And from now on your going to leave us alone." Aurora said as forcibly as she could, but her voice was still shaky. _

_ "Oh, and why is that?" He said with a smirk on his face as he leaned back against his desk. _

_ "Because if you don’t I will send all the files I got on you to the sheriff. And the state police. And even the feds if I have to." _

_ "So that’s why you’ve been looking into me….Did you really think I was unaware of your actions? I know everything." _

_ "Of course you know what I was doing. That doesn’t surprise me." Aurora spoke with more confidence as she continued. "But I found stuff I can use against you. You slipped up father, and now I have proof of your wrong doing. So now you will leave me, my friends, and my wife alone." _

_ "And your certain of what you found? Your certain that I don’t know what your referring to?" He spoke confidently with a raised eyebrow.  _

_ "If you did, you wouldn’t look so worried. And you wouldn’t risk your kingdom…not on something as pointless as getting me to come back home." _

_ "You are worth more than you know. But you have my word…I’ll leave you and everyone you care about alone." He said with a nod. _

_ "Glad that we have an understanding father." Aurora stared at her father to make sure he wasn’t lying, but was terribly confused when he started to grin. _

_ "What’s with the smile?" _

_ "I’m so proud of you. My little princess is all grown up. You make me so proud. I taught you well I guess." Aurora stood speechless. Of all the reactions she had imagined, this was not one of them. And the thought of doing something that made her father proud made her stomach churn. _

_ "Goodbye father." Aurora said as she turned to leave. _

_ "Goodbye. And enjoy your freedom." He replied as she was walking away. As she opened the door she heard her father speak once more, but ignored it and left.  _

_ "For now princess….for now." _

_ Despite her father’s last words, Aurora left feeling like a great weight had been lifted from her chest. She had succeeded. She was sure of it. She was safe. Mulan was safe. And she wouldn’t have to worry about him anymore. _

_ (End Flashback) _

"Did you mean me?" Aurora couldn’t stop herself from asking the first question that came to mind as she sat down across from Mulan. "Did you come back to fight for me?"

"It seems you’ve already made up your mind." Mulan responded making eye contact with Aurora. After a long pause, Aurora spoke again.

"Sorry…let me start again…How are you?" At that, Mulan just raised a questioning eyebrow. She paused before responding.

"I’m fine, though it seems my Saturday night wasn’t as fun as yours was."

"My night was hardly fun." 

"Your hangover says otherwise."

"Not that kind of hangover…Is it that obvious?"

"Not really…I just….I do know you. It’s nice to know some things haven’t changed."

"Don’t be so sure."

"I don’t know, the town seems to be the same. And the people as well."

"I’m not"

"So it would seem"

"Am I making a mistake?"

"Doing…?" 

"Trying to repair…us." Aurora stated bluntly. They were both surprised at how easily their conversation seemed to be flowing. But just as quickly Mulan became upset at how easy it seemed to fall back on old habits. Trying to protect herself, Mulan spoke angrily. 

"There would be nothing to repair if you didn’t break it."

"I would do it again in a heartbeat." Aurora stated. The look on Mulan’s face made her realize what it had implied. She quickly amended her statement.

”I didn’t mean…there’s just so much more to it than….than you know.”

"I know why…I’m not an idiot Aurora. Besides you told me why in that letter you left. I don’t need protecting."

"And I don’t need saving."

"That’s not why I’m here."

"That’s not what you said before, you said you were here to fight for me."

"Then, you misunderstood what I meant."

"So you did return to fight for me. I’m the thing worth fighting for." Mulan  paused for a second before speaking.

"Maybe I am fighting FOR you, but not for YOU."

"What does that even mean?"

"I’m doing the right thing. Fighting for the right thing, for the right reasons. That’s all that matters." Aurora took a deep breath accepting that Mulan would probably never give her a straight answer. An uncomfortable silence followed. Aurora let out a disappointed sigh. This was not the conversation she wanted to have.

"What is it you want? Why do you keep seeking me out?" Mulan questioned weakly in an attempt to salvage the conversation.

"I told you…to fix this." Aurora said motioning between them. Mulan took a deep breath before replying.

"It’s not that easy." Mulan said as she stood to leave.

"But we can still try," Aurora said as Mulan walked away. 

Mulan stopped her movements and looked at Aurora with an unreadable expression on her face. Aurora thought she was going to speak, but she never replied and left. Maybe what they had lost could be returned, Aurora thought, before remembering everything standing in their way.

_ (Flashback) _

_ For three years, Aurora felt safe. Free from her father’s control. It all changed suddenly one night. _

_ Aurora was leaving the shop. Cinderella had asked her to close late so that Regina could pick some stuff up. Aurora didn’t mind waiting and had refused the ride Regina had offered because she enjoyed walking alone to think. She also knew she was safe. Part of her hated that her father’s reputation affected her life, but this was one of the few things she liked. She could enjoy the fresh air at night without fear of being attacked. _

_ Mulan had told her that she would cook a small dinner for them. Despite the disaster that had been her initial attempts to cook, Mulan had found a few dishes she could cook without making a mess in the kitchen. Aurora always admired that about Mulan, her willingness to try new things despite her obvious nerves, and it helped that she rarely made the same mistake more than once. Just thinking about going home made Aurora smile.  _

_ As she was walking down main street, Aurora heard footsteps behind her. She knew she was safe, but it still made her a bit nervous. When she finally turned her head to look at her follower, he was right behind her. Before she realized what was happening she was pushed into an alleyway with a hand across her mouth. She was pushed forcefully against the wall. _

_ "You’ve been ignoring your father’s phone calls," said a low voice. The man’s face was covered and she didn’t recognize his voice. But she managed to register what he had said. Her father had sent this man. Her father had called twice earlier that week, but she simply hung up on him reminding him that she would still go to the police with the files she had collected. She thought it was the end of it. _

_ "You know he doesn’t like to be ignored, princess Aurora," Her father had called her princess since she was a young girl and he never stopped his associates from doing the same. _

_ "He’s not scared of those files anymore. He figured out what they contain, and….took care of the situation. It’s no longer an issue for him." Aurora’s eyes widened at that. She never meant for anyone to get hurt because of her, but she knew if her father had "taken care of the situation" then people had been threatened into submission. _

_ "Don’t worry no one was hurt. But we both know that anyone who threatens him usually doesn’t get off that easily. And we both know that he would never let any harm come to you. I suggest you think about that when you go home to that beautiful wife of yours." And there was the threat Aurora had feared was coming. While she had a feeling her father would never have her harmed, having someone say it aloud scared her more than she realized. _

_ After a short pause the man finished with “And I don’t need to tell you not to mention this conversation to anyone. Make sure to call your father by the end of the week.” He gave her one last shove before walking away. Aurora was terrified. She thought she had been safe and protected everyone she cared about. After taking a few deep breaths to steady herself, she finally continued her walk home. She had no idea what she was going to do. Part of her doubted that her father was managed to fix everything she had found, but some part of her was scared that he had found everything. Ignoring her father’s threat was not an option, but she knew that returning to his business would only put the people she cared about in more danger.  _

_ After taking one last deep breath she entered the home she shared with Mulan. She took off her coat, and walked toward the kitchen. _

_ "Mulan? Something smells amazing…" entering the kitchen she saw Mulan and without thinking walked right up to her and gave her a long hard kiss on the mouth. _

_ "Hi…is everything alright?" Mulan asked after taking a look at Aurora. As hard as she tried to hide her feelings, Aurora was never very good at keeping secrets from Mulan. She didn’t know what she was going to do, but telling Mulan what had happened wasn’t an option. She had hid all of her father’s previous threats from Mulan fearing what she would do. _

_ So she did the only thing she could think of and kissed her again before wrapping her arms around her wife saying “Want to have dinner in bed?” Smiling Mulan turned off the stove and followed Aurora up the stairs. _

_ (End Flashback) _

"Happy Monday!" Emma walked into the office with a smile on her face and a spring in her step.

"Regina’s home?" Mulan replied with less enthusiasm but with a smile. Before reaching for the coffee Emma was carrying.

"Regina’s home." Emma replied with a nod. "It’s so good to have her back in the house. Even if I apparently ‘cleaned everything wrong’. Like how is that even possible? I cleaned. Shouldn’t she be happy about that?" Mulan chuckled in response.

"I’m sure she’s glad to be home. And I guess it’s better than her being bored all day, it gives her something to do."

"Yeah. I’m actually happy about that. This way she won’t be itching to get back to work…so…yeah it’s safer."

"I guess. Oh by the way I should get a look at your file on the accident."

"Oh yeah….ummmm….there is no file," Emma replied sheepishly. When Mulan glared she was quick to defend herself. "Sorry I was a little distracted and was worried about bringing attention to it. But I’ll start one now that she’s home safe."

"Don’t worry, I’ll do the heavy lifting on that one" Mulan replied.

Emma nodded in response.

"Oh, I forgot to ask how was your date? Okay fine, fine, how was your ‘not a date’ breakfast meeting with your ex?"

"It was….weird. Like it was super awkward, but it feels like we came to a weird understanding. Like we broke through some barrier? We also ran into each other yesterday..and it went…okay….I don’t know."

"So not terrible then?"

"Yeah, seeing her twice over the weekend was unexpected. But it went…okay…just okay, not great, not terrible. I guess that’s the best way to explain it. It wasn’t great, but not terrible…..shall we focus on work now?"

"Sure…whatever you say master splinter."

"Master splinter?"

"You know, teenage mutant ninja turtles? He trains the teenage mutant turtle crime fighters in the sewers…you know like underground? Underground, like organized crime?….no?" Emma finished weakly. Mulan just stared at her with a confused smile.

"Still trying to find a better nickname?" Mulan finally said while shaking her head.

"Don’t I always?" Emma replied with a smile.

"Alright let’s get to work, is that okay with you Sheriff?" Emma just nodded.

"So let’s try to categorize the files based on the crimes committed and we can try to separate the people who were attacked more than once…uh at different times. We can make a distinction between two attacks around the same time ones that were like years apart."

"Okay. What do you want to do about the stuff from….uhh….from 8 years ago?"

"8 years ago?" It took a second for Mulan to figure out that Emma meant before Aurora returned to her father’s business. "Oh, umm we’ll just keep them separate for now. But we should definitely keep track of what happened before and after Aurora took over. Some of the rules they follow probably overlap from then. We can see what’s changed."

After a few hours of work, a few things seemed to become clear. At least the crimes were fitting into certain categories.

Emma thought it was obvious and became excited that they had found the trend before Mulan pointed out that there were still a lot of files left to go through and making a conclusion based on 17 cases wasn’t worth it. 

Of the 30 files they had gone through, 6 were from before Aurora returned to her father’s business. Another 5 were from the 3 years between when Aurora had returned to her father and his death. They decided to set those aside for the time being. 2 other cases turned out to be completely unrelated to organized crime and Mulan just rolled her eyes when Emma noticed. That left 17 crimes that had occurred in the last 4 years that were most likely linked to organized crime.

Those 17 files fell into specific categories. They were theft, property damage mostly fires, injuries to the left leg, and homicide. Around 5PM, Emma stood stretching.

"Well, I think we better call it a day. I promised Regina I’d be home for dinner."

"Sounds good to me. Plus we got a lot done today. I’ll think about how we could possibly go through this faster….or more efficiently." Mulan said as she stretched.

"Or you can relax. Once your off work, take it easy. You know leave work here and not bring it to your room?"

Mulan just shrugged in response as they walked out the building. Mulan headed back towards Granny’s to grab dinner as she had most nights. She sat down at her booth and ate in relative peace. Ruby stopped by more often than usual to chat. After some time, Mulan was starting to think of how to get Belle and Ruby back together. When Aurora entered, she spoke briefly to Ruby before walking over to Mulan.

"Hi," Aurora said softly. " I uh just came over to say hi."

"Hi to you too. I hope the rest of your weekend went well."

"It was…uh…interesting." Aurora had spent the majority of that Sunday afternoon contemplating what to do regarding Mulan, who had spent her day doing the same.

"Me too." There was a long comfortable silence between them as they kept looking at each other trying to figure out what to say. Neither of them wanted to ask about their day at work.  

Philip had entered and neither of them had noticed. He had seen Aurora talking to Mulan and walked over.

"Hi, I’m Philip." Philip said as he wrapped an arm around Aurora’s shoulder.

"Mulan, nice to meet you." Mulan replied shaking his hand.

"Likewise…Aurora our food’s ready. Shall we go?"

"Yeah, okay. Bye, have a good night."

"You too Aurora. Goodnight, Philip." Mulan replied with a nod to each of them as they left. Aurora lingered with a wave before following Philip out the door.

"I don’t need to remind you that—" Philip started to say once they were in the car.

"I know what I’m doing. It’s perfectly safe." Aurora said tersely interrupting his warning.

"Just be careful. Not just for your sake. Her safety matters too." Philip said sternly.

Aurora just stared out the window. She kept hearing the warnings and she knew they were right. But her own desires were clouding her judgment.

_ (Flashback) _

_ Aurora entered her home and had the strongest feeling of deja vu. She took off her coat and hung it on a hook in the hallway before walking back towards the kitchen. But she froze as she passed the entrance to the living room and saw him again in her house as if he owned the place. Her father stood in the living room drinking a glass of her wife’s favorite whisky again looking at a picture of the pair of them. _

_ "Mulan has good taste" He commented with a smile. _

_ When Aurora failed to respond, he continued speaking. _

_ "Did you really think I’d let you get away that easily? That your petty attempt at blackmail would really work? Honestly, Aurora I’m a little insulted you think it’d be that easy to escape me." He said with a dark smile. _

_ "You…your bluffing. I have more than witnesses. I’ve got proof, hard paper evidence to link it all to you." Aurora said as steadily as she could, but she hated that she couldn’t speak with more force. _

_ "Ah yes, you see…Mr. Gold is quite good at paperwork, that’s why I use him. He’s the best. And he would know better than to leave a paper trail back to me. No, he’ll back me up when I say your proof, is doctored. Nothing will lead back to me princess." _

_ ”You’re lying. I won’t come home based on your word. I’ll go above your head to the state and federal courts. I have the proof, I did my research. You taught me well father.” _

_ "Are you sure about that?" Her father said as he took a step towards her. "How sure are you? Cause you don’t sound very sure…And your trembling would say your scared." _

_ "I’m certain. If you were so safe, father, you wouldn’t have worked so hard to hide those documents." _

_ "If you say so…I take it your not coming home then?" _

_ "No. I don’t want to, and you can’t force me to. There’s nothing you can say or do without bringing down your entire kingdom." _

_ "You understand that everything I do from now on, is on you right?" _

_ "Doesn’t matter, there’s nothing you can do." _

_ "Your sure." _

_ "Positive." _

_ "And your willing to bet that Mulan will survive the aftermath?" _

_ "Yes." Aurora said in a shakier voice than she would have liked. Her father’s persistence was giving her doubts, but she knew that she had to hold firm. If she wavered, he would win. That much she was sure of. _

_ "Last chance Aurora. You sure sleeping beauty?" Aurora simply looked at him. She didn’t move and refused to give in. He was bluffing. There was no way he was able to convince everyone to lie for him. Her proof was rock solid. She was certain and did not want to consider the alternative. _

_ "Well I hope your sure. Remember I gave many more chances than I would give to anyone else. I love you princess." _

_ Aurora watched her father leave her home and walk down the pathway. He took out his phone and made a call. She prayed that she was right and he had been bluffing. And she anxiously awaited her wife’s return home. _

_ (End Flashback) _

Mulan entered the station early the next morning. After seeing Aurora at the diner with Philip, her thoughts had returned to her work. And something had been plaguing her the entire night and she needed to ask about it. While she suspected she knew the answer, Mulan was a little scared to ask. 

Emma entered with a smile on her face. 

"Good morning. I am happy to report….." Emma trailed off when she noticed the serious look on Mulan’s face and handed over her coffee.

"What is it?" Emma asked skipping their normal morning chit chat.

"How…how did you figure out the left leg thing? Given your lack of organization and the way you’ve kind of been working blind for the last couple years…how did you connect it to Aurora?"

"Well… after you…I came back…. and…well …after…what happened….and well…a lot of rumors…we were sure….well as sure as we could be" Emma stopped her own rambling as she realized she was thinking out loud. She wasn’t sure where to start.

But she finally decided she should just reveal everything. After taking a deep breath she said, “You might want to sit down.”

Emma and Mulan sat across from each other at the sheriff’s desk and Emma unlocked one of her desk drawers and pulled out a thick file, placing it on the desk.

"To start, we think these guys were responsible for your ‘car accident’. We figured Aurora’s trademark from what happened to them." Mulan took a deep breath and if Emma’s nervousness was anything to go by, she wasn’t going to like where this was going.

"Start from the beginning and tell me everything."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted 3/25/13


	7. CHAPTER 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aurora is a mob boss in a very corrupt Storybrooke. Mulan has returned to help take down organized crime. They have a long complicated history. Will be full of angst. AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning some violence in this chapter.

A long pause followed as both women prepared themselves for the conversation to come. They were both expecting it to be painful and difficult. Emma took a deep breath before speaking.

"Alright…So…The night of your ‘accident’" Emma said using air-quotes around the word accident.

"Attack…Emma call it what it was. An attack. I was attacked."

"Okay, okay. The night you were attacked…well at least what we know about the attack…Which admittedly isn’t much…So…you left the bar around 9:30 after grabbing a beer with August…we don’t know much more than that. Sometime after you left the bar you got attacked and didn’t make it home that night."

"I walked a few blocks before I got pushed into an alley…" Mulan began before describing what she could remember about that night.

 

_ Flashback _

_ Mulan had been shoved into an alley and fell down in the process. She got to her feet quickly and saw three guys in front of her. They were blocking the entrance to the alley and all their faces were covered.  _

_ "Okay…what do you want?" Mulan asked in a surprisingly calm tone.  _

_ None of the men spoke. The one in the middle nodded and then someone from behind Mulan grabbed her and tried to pin her arms behind her back. She managed to wrench one arm free and elbowed the man behind her. Then, she punched one of the approaching men, before being tackled by one of the other guys. A second man jumped in as she fought back. After rolling around and wrestling for about a minute, Mulan managed to free herself. _

_ Mulan heard footsteps behind her and turned to punch. But he saw it coming and grabbed her arm spinning her. Mulan slammed into a wall back first knocking the wind out of her. After she recovered, Mulan tried to throw another punch, but someone grabbed her right arm and slammed it into the corner of a dumpster. She let out a cry of pain and tried to keep her focus on the men around her. She cradled her now broken arm, contemplating what to do as she sat on the ground. _

_ "Let’s just do the job and get out of here. She’s hurt now." Said one of the voices. _

_ "No…bitch deserves more than that." Said another angrily, and she saw blood dripping through his mask and down his front. He stepped forward and grabbed the front of her shirt pulling her into a standing position before punching her in the gut causing her to double over in pain. _

_ Once again someone tried to pin her arms behind her back and managed to do it successfully this time. Mulan let out a cry of pain as her broken arm was twisted. As she was being held up, Mulan endured some punches to the face and torso. She tried to kick out of the attack, but took a beating in the process. _

_ Eventually, she ripped out her good arm from the man behind her elbowing him and kicking him into a wall before turning to the others letting out a quick succession of kicks.  _

_ But then one of her kicks was caught and in one of the guys  arms. He held tight and she was unable to free her left leg. He twisted it and she yelped in pain. As she tried to free her leg, she used her good arm to block a few punches. Then, her right leg was taken out from under her and she fell to the ground hitting her head in the process. While her head was swimming, she felt her leg being twisted further.  _

_ "Bitch." said one of the voices angrily. _

_ Then, Mulan let out a scream in pain, as someone stabbed her in the left leg, twice, which was still being held in the air. Her leg was twisted further before someone brought an elbow down on her knee, bending it into an unnatural position. Mulan felt something snap in her leg, but could do nothing to stop it. Then, her leg was released and the beating continued as she lay on the ground, during which she fell unconscious. _

_ "That’s enough. Let’s get out of here." One of the men called out after Mulan had passed out. There was fear in his voice as they had done more damage than was ordered. _

_ A white van pulled up before Mulan’s beaten body was carelessly thrown in. The next night the same van pulled up to a hospital and a large man brought Mulan into the hospital’s ER saying that there had been a car accident and left quickly. _

_ End Flashback _

 

A long silence followed as Emma tried to keep her emotions in check and Mulan tried to push away the painful memories she had just recalled.

"Later that night, August got a call from Aurora, who was worried that you hadn’t made it home that night. And you hadn’t called or texted to let her know you’d be working late." Emma continued.

"According to August, Aurora was incredibly worried…actually she seemed panicked. He questioned why, but Aurora never said. The next night you were dropped off at the hospital and the guy said it was a car accident but left before he could be questioned." Emma finished. Mulan didn’t know any of this and sat silently as she processed the new information. 

A long silence followed as both women were lost in thought.

Mulan understood that Aurora knew…something about the attack. But how did Aurora know something would happen? And why that night in particular? Mulan tried to remember anything that would give her answers to these troubling questions.

Emma couldn’t help thinking of how bad the injuries had been. Just thinking about it still hurt so much. Mulan’s left leg had been shattered. It was broken in multiple places and her knee had been messed up, something about torn ligaments or tendons or both. Emma never was good at the medical stuff. The leg injuries were bad enough on their own, but add in the broken ribs, broken right arm and concussion. If she was being honest, Emma was a surprised Mulan had survived the beating let alone the overnight stay wherever she had been kept.

Emma cleared her throat before continuing as her thoughts had drifted to Mulan’s coma. She felt the need to fill the silence and the said what was on her mind.

"You were in a coma for a month. But the weird thing was…the doctor’s said you should have been awake within a couple weeks. But they didn’t say anything at the time." Emma said. Mulan looked up when Emma started speaking with a confused expression on her face as she finished.

"What do you mean? I was in a coma cause I had a severe concussion" 

"I mean…at the time…the doctors said you were progressing and healing and that you should wake up ‘any time now’. But we didn’t question it….But after the fact…during the investigation…well according to the medical people I talked to, you should have been awake after 2 weeks…at most. You survived the first night, and made it through surgery. So your brain was healing and you should have woken up sooner than you did."

"But I was out for a month." Mulan replied still confused.

"Yeah….I…I think…I…It could have—" 

"You think it had something to do with Aurora, don’t you?" Mulan interrupted.

"Yeah, but I don’t know how…she would never…she….she wouldn’t do anything to—" Emma said shaking her head.

"So her father then?" Mulan interrupted Emma again.

"Maybe?…I mean the timeline…was weird. She seemed to think it was him at the time of the attack…but she refused to let that stop her." 

"Wait…you weren’t here?" Mulan asked trying to figure out how Emma knew.

"Ruby told me…According to Ruby, Aurora seemed to think it was her father from day one. But she was determined not to give in or something. She was with you everyday…practically all day from what I know. Ruby said that she had made up her mind to turn her father in once you woke up." Emma explained.

"Turn him in? How?" Mulan asked. Emma shrugged in reply. She had no idea.

"She never handed in anything. But after about a month, Aurora stopped coming to see you. As far as we can tell, you woke up the day after she left the letter.”

"How do you know it was the next day?" Mulan asked calmly.

"Ruby said she had come by the night before crying about how she had to let you go. Something about you deserving better. Ruby said she was heartbroken, but Aurora never did explain. You woke up the next day and Aurora was nowhere to be found."

_ Flashback _

_ 34 days. It had been 34 days since the night her father’s last threat, since Mulan had been dropped off at the ER. A long night of waiting and 33 days of sitting by her wife’s bed hoping that she would wake up. _

_ Mulan’s family was unable to visit. Shang spoke to Aurora almost daily, wanting an update on his baby sister, and he passed along the information to the rest of the family. While they couldn’t visit, Mulan’s parents sent flowers weekly and their letters sat unopened on the bedside table. They had also sent many gifts, but all of them sat unopened.  _

_ Aurora didn’t lift her head when she heard the door open. She had fallen asleep in a chair next to Mulan’s hospital bed, again. As always, her head was lying against the bed and her hand wrapped around Mulan’s.  She refused to leave Mulan except to shower and an occasional trip to Granny’s when Ruby insisted. _

_ "How does it look?" Aurora asked as she slowly lifted her head not taking her eyes off Mulan’s face. _

_ "I’d say she’s looked better, but that hasn’t scared you off." Aurora whipped her head around to face the voice and stood quickly when she recognized her father. _

_ "Get out." _

_ "No." he replied calmly. "I’m sure you want to hear what I have to say…why don’t you have a seat, Princess? You look tired." _

_ He took a step to stand next to Mulan’s hospital bed as he finished speaking. Aurora didn’t move and just stared at him across the bed. _

_ "I have a…proposition for you" He continued. _

_ "No." Aurora heard him let out a sigh before he spoke again. _

_ "So you don’t want your wife to wake up? To not spend the rest of her days in this hospital bed?" Aurora stiffened at that. _

_ Whatever Aurora had been expected, this had not been it. She hadn’t been sleeping well and wasn’t sure she understood what he had said.  _

_ "Please, Aurora, have a seat you look tired." He said in a caring voice.  _

_ "Mulan is in a coma….because of what YOU had done to her. That can’t be undone." Aurora said ignoring his last statement. She was trying to keep her voice steady and forceful, but confusion seeped in . _

_ "Wait…what…what is your offer? Are you saying that she’s still…that you…What did you do?" Aurora said as he voice became more panicked as she spoke and her mind was working frantically as she was beginning to understand. He released an exasperated sigh before moving. _

_ He put a hand over Mulan’s nose and mouth, who started struggling immediately. But never opened her eyes. Aurora’s eyes widened and in a panic she tried frantically to pull her father’s arm away. _

_ "Sit down." He said forcefully. Aurora realized quickly that she wouldn’t be able to pull him off and let go and sat down anxiously waiting for her father to let go. _

_ "Good girl. That’s my little princess." He said slightly out of breath, but Aurora didn’t hear him. She just watched as Mulan was taking deep breaths after her struggle, but still not waking up. _

_ "How…if it…if her coma was…that would have woken her up." Aurora whispered to herself as she moved to hold Mulan’s hand. Closing her eyes briefly and taking a deep breath, Aurora understood. _

_ "Very good" He said with a nod. _

_ "Come home. Now. And Mulan will wake up and walk out of here…She can live a full life, outside of this room" He continued as he tossed a piece of paper onto the bed. _

_ "Divorce papers?" Aurora asked after opening the envelope.  _

_ "Well, you can’t very well remain married." _

_ "No." _

_ "No?" _

_ "I mean…I’ll come home, but…There’s no way that those papers are fair. But if I’m going to do this…I’m doing it my way" Aurora spoke not looking up from Mulan’s face. She kept blinking slowly to hold back her tears. _

_ "Very well. You have one week to come home Aurora." _

_ "Or what?" Aurora replied with a dark chuckle. "You can’t do much worse than you already have." _

_ "Don’t push me, princess. I’ve been patient enough." He said as his pent up frustration finally revealed itself. _

_ "I’ve already agreed to come home father…There’s no need to continue making threats." Aurora said in a defeated tone. _

_ He simply nodded in response before turning to leave. Once he was gone, Aurora let herself cry. She stayed with Mulan for the rest of the day as she thought about what to do. Part of her wanted to take back what she had said. But as she thought about it, she had no other choice. She had to return to the family business. At least Mulan would be alive, and awake, and safe. Aurora took one last look at Mulan before leaving that night. She had a lot to do before she had to say goodbye…forever. _

_ End Flashback _

After another lengthy pause, Mulan decided to redirect the conversation back to her initial inquiry. 

"Okay…so Aurora left me after I was in a coma for a month. The timeline does seem weird, and I bet something happened to drive her away" Mulan voiced her thoughts. They could figure out the details later. She still wanted to understand Aurora’s trademark. "But you still haven’t explained how you managed to put together the left leg thing."

"Well, after you left, and once I moved back for good, I started looking into the bastards who attacked you. August and I agreed it would be the best. I was used to taking one case at a time so it made the transition easier. He took care of everything else, while I focused more on organized crime. I started with your attack." Emma explained, even though Mulan knew all this. She had previously worked as a bounty hunter, but returned home after Mulan had been attacked.

“Then about a month after you left Aurora came to see me. She handed me five names and photos. It was weird….she just handed me the files said your name and then walked away.”

_ Flashback _

_ "What’s this?" Aurora asked after her father handed her some photos. _

_ "A gift." _

_ "What for?" _

_ "A welcome home present, of sorts. You returned about a year ago. And since your ex has left town I thought you could use some cheering up." _

_ Aurora looked through the photos unsure of what he was getting at. All five of the men in the photos were low level thugs in the company. She looked at her father confused. _

_ "They defied orders…The only way to run a business efficiently is if everyone does what they’re supposed to do…They were only supposed to break her leg… Just a broken leg. She shouldn’t have been in a coma. Her injuries shouldn’t have been that severe." He explained as gently as he could. _

_ Aurora simply nodded in understanding. These were the guys who had attacked Mulan. They were responsible for the physical damaged Mulan had endured. Her father was giving her a chance to get revenge. She could not get revenge against him, which is what she truly wanted. But confronting Mulan’s attackers….it was better than nothing. _

_ "I’ll take care of it." Aurora replied darkly as she started playing with her wedding ring. She still wore it everyday as reminder of why she was there. "Any limitations?" _

_ "This is personal for you." He replied while shaking his head. "It’s up to you. As long as the message is clear, you are free to do what you like…I’m trusting you to do this right, princess." _

_ Aurora understood. She had been hesitant to do everything her father required of her and it was hurting his reputation that he had let it slide. They both knew her place needed to solidified and her commitment to the business needed to be…proven. _

_ End Flashback _

Mulan stayed silent for awhile as she processed what Emma was telling her. She thought she knew where this was going, but wasn’t sure she wanted to hear it. 

"What happened to them?" Mulan asked in a small voice.

"About a month after that meeting….they all turned up…dead." Emma trailed off not knowing how much Mulan wanted to hear.

"How…how did you know it was her? I mean…it…maybe…" Mulan didn’t want to believe that Aurora would do such a thing, and the proof didn’t appear solid for Emma to be so sure of the trademark.

"I mean we never connected all of them to the attack. But there were a lot of rumors floating around at the time." Emma said answering the unspoken question.

"There was a lot of chatter at the time. Aurora had proven herself loyal and had solidified her place in the organization  Everyone was saying that her dad was proud of ‘his little princess’. Saying that she was all grown up."

_ Flashback _

_ Aurora handed over the files to Emma and contemplated what to do. Eventually, she decided to take matters into her own hands. She wanted to do the deed herself. _

_ No one expected her to be present. And nobody anticipated how severe the punishments would get. All five men were gathered up and sent to a warehouse near the harbor. Aurora asked to be left alone with them. _

_ Her father’s associates were hesitant to leave them alone, but she was adamant that she wanted to do it…alone. Guards stood outside the warehouse with orders to make sure no one entered and none of the men could escape. _

_ All five men were bound to chairs, lined up in a row. Aurora paced in front of them before deciding to speak. She came with a gun and a knife. Both of which she set down on the table.  _

_ "Who was in charge?" She said as she paced in front of them. "And keep in mind, my father told me everything he knew. So don’t lie to me." _

_ "I was. " Said the man one seat from the left in a shaking voice. "I was in charge." _

_ "Okay," she said walking to stand in front of him. "What happened?" _

_ "What do you mean?" He asked, genuinely confused. _

_ "What went wrong? Why did you…go beyond the parameters of your orders?" _

_ "We…we expected her to fight back." _

_ "Say her name!" Aurora said forcefully after slapping him in the face. She needed to hear it. She needed to be reminded of why she was here. And she needed to maintain her motivation to go through with it. _

_ "We…we expected…Mulan to fight back…But she was stronger…and smarter…than we expected." _

_ "Start from the beginning." She replied pacing again. "Who hit her first?" _

_ "I did." Said the man sitting in the middle. _

_ "Why?" Aurora replied moving to stand in front of him. _

_ "She hit me first." He replied nonchalantly.  _

_ "So you don’t like being hit?" _

_ "Not by a woman" He replied bluntly, smirking, as he did not fear Aurora, not one bit. _

_ "Your not scared of me, are you?" She asked leaning forward in a dark tone. "Let’s see if we can change that." _

_ With that it started, Aurora started beating the man until he could no longer speak. _

_ The rest of the night continued in a similar manner. She asked questions about what had happened. She wanted to heatr the gruesome details of that night. As she pictured the event, her anger grew. _

_ Her emotions came out in every punch, kick, and stab wound she inflicted. Whether it was anger at her father or herself, she wasn’t sure anymore. Her guilt was overflowing. Her anger. Her love. Every memory of Mulan. Every happy moment she would never get now. Every day she spent in the hospital. All of Mulan’s injuries. The permanent damage she had sustained. All of it came to mind. All of it fueled her attack. _

_ Aurora had stayed until the following evening. She walked out of the warehouse without her gun. She hadn’t needed it. Aurora had preferred to use the knife. She carried it with her…a reminder. She walked out covered in blood. Her knuckles were cut and bruised from the damage they had inflicted. She didn’t say a word. _

_ Aurora went home and showered to wash away all the blood…and guilt. She cried, long and hard. That night, she took off her wedding ring. She was disgusted with herself. With what she had done in Mulan’s name. From that point on she vowed to never again think of the woman she loved. As it was the only thing she could think of that would drive her to do something so terrible. It hurt, but it was better to let her go. To forget  Mulan so she could be a better person. Or at least the best person she possibly be working for her father. _

_ _____________________________________ _

_ Aurora avoided her father for as long as possible. But after a week, he wanted to see her. She had to go see him. _

_ "I’m so proud of you." He said with a smile when she entered his office. He gave her a long hug. "You’ve made me proud princess. Getting revenge for Mul—" _

_ He was cut off when Aurora escaped his hug and grabbed the front of his shirt angrily. _

_ "Don’t you dare say her name. You don’t deserve to say her name." Aurora said forcefully. Her voice betrayed her feelings of anger, guilt, and sadness. Her father raised his hand to stop his guards from pulling her away. He nodded silently as her reaction had surprised him. _

_ "Never talk about her, to me, ever again. YOU lost that right a long time ago."  _

_ "As you wish, Princess." He spoke quietly. Aurora looked him in the eye to make sure she had made her point before releasing him. Despite all the threats he had made before, it had been the first time she hated her old nickname because now she associated it with the attack on Mulan and her own awful actions. _

_ "We can discuss my new… responsibilities later." She said calmly before walking out. Apparently, it had been too soon to see her father. They both seemed to understand that. He gave her space and waited for her to come to him. When she did return, he gave her more power within the business. _

_ But Aurora waited until her own bruised and cut knuckles were healed to return to see him. Until she could think of her father, without thinking of Mulan. Once she was able to do that, Aurora returned to her father and immersed herself in her new job. _

_ End Flashback _

"But…I don’t…how’s it her trademark? One…suspicions don’t…" Mulan seemed unable to put together a coherent sentence. Emma wanted to save Mulan the pain of having to say everything out loud and continued explaining everything she knew.

"When Aurora heard that your leg may not heal…you didn’t see it, but she was devastated. I mean Ruby knows more than I do, but…the fact that there would be permanent damage hit her really hard…." Emma paused as the memory was painful for her as well.  

"And then…well these guys turned up with all kinds of injuries. There was very little consistency. Some had cracked ribs. Some broken ribs. Some had one single stab wound. Others had multiple. Some had broken hands, others didn’t." Emma said as she motioned to the file that sat untouched on the desk.

"But the most oddly consistent was the left leg injuries…broken bones and stab wounds. But our investigation into the attack hit a dead end, since all the suspects turned up dead….So I widened my investigation to all organized crime, specifically Aurora’s kingdom." Emma finished.

"That still doesn’t constitute a trademark…One attack…or related deaths…doesn’t mean…you seemed so sure it was all Aurora. The leg thing…as a trademark?" Mulan was having trouble voicing her thoughts, but she did not want to believe that Aurora could do such a thing.

"Remember when I said I focused on her kingdom?" Emma continued after seeing Mulan nod.

“Well…I still wanted to see if Aurora…well…I found out her father was starting to give her more responsibility…Aurora was in charge of certain aspects of the business. Her father put her in charge of half the buildings they run. And everyone…who was attacked and linked to those buildings turned up with a left leg injury. It was…oddly consistent.” Emma replied as quickly as she could.

"That still doesn’t seem solid" Mulan said trying to hold onto the sliver of hope that Emma had made a mistake.

"The evidence is there. Her father didn’t have that focus. He used so many other methods, but he also didn’t hurt ‘good’ people. But for Aurora, the beatings were…not as bad, but they all came out with a left leg, knee, ankle injury.” Emma said as calmly as she could. “It was so specific…Too many incidents for it to be random or coincidence.”

After another lengthy silence, Mulan got up from her chair scowling. She picked up the files from the table without saying a word.

"Don’t." Emma said while shaking her head.

"I’m just going for a walk." Mulan replied, but they both knew it was a lie.

"Just be careful…She won’t hurt you, but that doesn’t mean you won’t get hurt" Emma stated as Mulan grabbed her cane and left.

Mulan walked quickly, with purpose. She stopped just outside of “The Castle” as she considered  what she wanted to say. She had no idea what she was going to say or how she wanted the conversation to go.

All she knew was that she wanted to talk to Aurora. She entered and walked back to the office straight past all of the guards and ignored Philip who acknowledged her as she passed. When Mulan entered the office, Aurora sent away the men she was speaking to as well as the guards who had followed Mulan into the office just in case.

"Hi," Aurora said with a surprised smile on her face. While she had no idea why Mulan would show up out of the blue, Aurora hoped it was just to see her.

Mulan tossed the file she was carrying onto the desk. Aurora opened the files with uncertainty. But after reading it, her smile disappeared as she released a quiet “Oh” before crossing her arms and hesitantly looking up to meet Mulan’s eyes. They silently stared at each other, both unsure of what to say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally Posted on my tumblr 4/3/13


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sleeping Warrior AU. Aurora is the most powerful mob boss in Storybrooke. Her ex-wife, Mulan, is an experienced detective, who has returned to town to help take down organized crime.

 

The longer the silence lasted the more anxious Aurora became. So she walked slowly around her desk in order to expel some excess energy. She stood directly in front of Mulan and leaned back against her desk. When the silence continued, she decided to speak.

"So did you want to talk about something? Or did you just come to stare at me?" Aurora said half jokingly in an attempt to ease the tension.

"Is Emma right?" Mulan blurted out before continuing. "Was it…Did you…Aurora…I don’t want to believe you could do something like this." Mulan finished lamely. She stared at the floor as she was clinging to the hope that Aurora would deny the claim.

"Given the right motivation, you’d be surprised what people can do." 

"You didn’t answer the question." Mulan said irritated as they made eye contact.

"Don’t ask questions you know I can’t answer."

"Just answer the question." 

"You know I can’t."

"Not can’t, won’t." Mulan bit out. Aurora let out a loud sigh before responding as calmly as she could, maintaining eye contact.

"It seems you’ve already made up your mind, so what difference would my answer make?"

Aurora saw Mulan’s jaw twitch in frustration before responding.

"Fine…then why?"

"Why…what?"

"What was ‘the right’ motivation?"

"Well, my wife was attacked and lay in hospital bed in a coma for about a month. After she woke up there was some permanent damage. Her injuries required months of rehabilitation just to be able to walk again. But you already knew that."

”I was hoping that wasn’t the case.” Mulan said quietly stating the obvious.

"And I wish that it wasn’t true as well. But this is who I am.” 

"And who is that?"

"Someone who…someone who loves her home. Who is ready to protect it. To protect it from those who just want power. Someone who would do everything in her power to protect her hometown from…people like…like Cora, Mr. Gold, and Maleficent. Because more than anything, I want to protect Storybrooke.” Aurora picked up the file off the desk and lifted it up before she finished.

“And I will do  **whatever** it takes to protect…what I love.” 

Mulan thought the words sounded rehearsed, but nodded in understanding. Part of Aurora’s words filled her with hope. Aurora didn’t seem happy to act in her role. And that strengthened Mulan’s determination to free Aurora. Mulan’s thoughts were interrupted when Aurora loudly dropped the file back onto her desk.

"But that’s not why your here." Aurora said turning back to Mulan.

"It’s not?" Mulan asked genuinely confused by the statement.

"Why don’t you ask the question you actually want to ask?"

Mulan wondered how Aurora knew that she had been suppressing a question since her return to Storybrooke. But she resigned herself to the fact that Aurora always did seem to know her better than she knew herself. Mulan took a moment to gather her thoughts and emotions before speaking.

"Obviously, you found out it was him when you….did that." Mulan said slowly as she pointed at the file on the desk behind Aurora.

"But you couldn’t have known for sure, when you left me." Mulan paused as if waiting for an answer to Aurora responded.

"That’s not a question," Aurora said with the hint a smile.

"You could have waited one more day for me to wake up. One more day, and I could convince you that I would be fine. To convince you that we would be safe. That I could protect you. Fight for us. Fight for you…Don’t you think I deserved a chance to…to convince you to stay?"

"It wasn’t worth it. It wasn’t safe. You got hurt cause I fought back. It just…It wasn’t worth it anymore."

"Don’t you think it was a decision we could have…should have made together?"

"You could have died."

"But I didn’t. And he knew that if he killed me, you would never return. Surely, you knew that too."

"You don’t understand." Aurora said in a strained voice as she shook her head. 

"What’s there to understand?" Mulan asked barely restraining her frustration. As she continued speaking, Mulan’s true emotions were showing and her voice was getting progressively louder, but never quite reaching the point of shouting.

"If you knew it was him, why did you wait so long to leave? Why not leave immediately afterwards? Something happened didn’t it? What happened?…tell me…How did you know it was him? I had plenty of ene-" 

"It was him. He made that perfectly clear that night when he left our house." Aurora interrupted in a stern voice, but her face betrayed the pain she was hiding.

Mulan was shocked by the statement and the implications. Mulan understood that there was more to the story. Aurora could see Mulan thinking and putting the pieces together. And she saw the shock in Mulan’s eyes indicating she understood. Aurora nodded as if to affirm her suspicions that ‘yes, my father made multiple threats against me. And we both know he would never harm me…’

Mulan took a step forward, a look of anger and confusion on her face.

"Why didn’t you tell me?"

"Well, you were attacked later that night. Made it kind of hard to tell you anything."

"That’s not what I mean Aurora and we both know it." Aurora released a sigh in resignation before she responded.

"I didn’t tell you because you would have taken some action against him. And you were in danger because I love you not because you were a threat. If you became a threat to the family business, you would have been in even more danger." Aurora paused before finishing quietly.

"Besides, I took care of it. We were safe. I felt safe. At least, until that night."

"You should have told me. I had a right to know."

"Maybe." Aurora said quietly with a shrug. "But I wanted to protect you. Keep you safe. You can’t hold it against me that I didn’t want anything else to happen to you. He had interfered in our life enough. I didn’t want to let him come between us…again.”

"Your right I can’t hold that against you, especially since I would have done the same….But you still should have waited for me to wake up. If you waited for a month, surely another day wouldn’t have hurt."

"You don’t understand. You didn’t happen to wake up the day after I left. That wasn’t a coincidence." Aurora said frustration in her voice, and continued when Mulan shot her a confused look.

"If I had waited another week, you would have stayed unconscious for another week. It’s not that I didn’t wait long enough. You woke up the next day because I left." Aurora paused and a long silence followed.

Mulan was caught up in her own mind. She didn’t think Aurora’s father had gone that far. But in general she never anticipated that Aurora had hidden so much from her. This had not been the explanation Mulan had expected and it hurt. It hurt that Aurora hadn’t confided in her. It hurt to think that Aurora was in pain and she didn’t see it. 

Aurora found the silence suffocating, so she started talking, again. More precisely, Aurora started rambling.

"I was ready to end it all. When you were attacked, that was the final straw. I didn’t care about anything else. I was ready to turn him in. To end it. To take down the business. But then…he just showed up…I didn’t leave because of the attack. Because you were hurt. I knew he would never kill you…But…If I hadn’t left, you never would have woken up. And I couldn’t live with myself if I let that happen…You deserve better. You deserve to live a full life. Even if it couldn’t be with me, you could be happy. So I let you go….And you got to be free. I may have been stuck, but you were free that’s all that mattered." Aurora’s voice was strained from the effort of holding back her tears. But she continued speaking, all her thoughts coming out.

"Even after he died. I couldn’t just leave. All the other organizations in town would never let me live if I ran. But you were still safe. I made sure of it. Why the hell did you come back?” Aurora finished angrily. She blinked back her tears and looked at the ceiling as if it held all the answers to her problems.

Mulan thought about what Aurora said. The thing that stood out the most was that Aurora was still in Storybrooke for a reason. She didn’t know much about the other criminal activities within Storybrooke and trusted that Aurora was telling her the truth. Or at least what she believed to be the truth. She mentally told herself to look into the other criminal organizations in Storybrooke. She pushed it to the back of her mind before she decided to answer Aurora’s final question.

"Because….Because YOU deserve a better life. You’re a good person Aurora. And you deserve better."

Aurora brought her attention back to Mulan when she spoke and was quick to deny the statement.

"Your wro—"

"Once upon a time, I vowed to be there for you. To protect you. To keep you safe."  Mulan interrupted loudly. ”And I failed you.”

"No you di—"

"I did. And I’m no good if I can’t keep a simple promise. I’m sorry I fai-"

"Mulan, that’s not tr—"

"Aurora, will you just let me finish?" 

"Fine." Aurora replied with a nod as she wiped her eyes. Mulan thought she looked like a small child who had just been scolded, and thought she looked adorable. With that thought in mind, Mulan spoke with a sad smile on her face.

"I failed to protect you. I broke my promise. So I came back to fix it. I will fulfill the vows I made to you. I can’t…I won’t leave until your free. That’s a promise, sleeping beauty….You have my word."

Mulan maintained eye contact to make sure that Aurora would accept her new promise. She lost herself in the blue eyes she fell in love with years ago.

Aurora opened her mouth to speak, but for the first time in years she was completely speechless. The determination in Mulan’s eyes left nothing to question. She knew that there was nothing she could say to change Mulan’s mind, and that terrified her. Despite her feelings, Aurora gave a nearly imperceptible nod.

Seeing the tiny acknowledgement  Mulan took the four steps toward the desk to pick up the file. Aurora held her breath as she watched Mulan approach the desk. She closed her eyes trying and failing to stop anymore tears from coming out. She flinched when she felt Mulan’s hand on her face and opened her eyes to see Mulan looking into her eyes inches away.

Without thinking, Mulan lifted her hand and wiped away Aurora’s tears with her thumb. Her hand then moved to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, a familiar movement that used to be followed by a kiss. Aurora wanted to melt into the familiar touch, but didn’t move until Mulan awkwardly dropped her hand to her cane and took a half step back.

"Please, don’t blame yourself for what happened. I could have walked away at anytime. I knew what I was getting myself into when we got married. Don’t forget that." Mulan said softly as she looked at Aurora who was staring at her feet.

"You shouldn’t have come back." Aurora whispered still looking at the floor. "You can’t save me Mulan. I’m not the same person I used to be. You deserve to find someone better."

"You’re a GOOD person Aurora. You might have changed. But you’re still…you. I know you’ve done some bad stuff. But you’re still a good person deep, deep down. You tried to bury it. But it’s still in you. I know it." Mulan replied. Aurora looked up and made eye contact. Mulan held her gaze and answered her unspoken question.

"Sometimes good people are put in bad situations. You did the best you could. But you’re not a bad person. And you’re definitely not your father." Mulan said with an unreadable expression on her face and continued to answer Aurora’s unspoken question.

"He wouldn’t waste time and money to secretly hire a PI…to get regular reports on his ex…for 7 years." Mulan finished with a small smile before she turned to leave. Aurora simply gaped at Mulan’s back as she left wondering how Mulan knew.

Aurora stood staring at the door long after Mulan left. She was distracted by their conversation for the rest of the day. She wondered if it was possible. Would it be possible to be free? To be truly free. To leave Storybrooke and her father’s business behind?

For the first time in years, it felt possible. Even after all the pain she had caused, and the time apart, Mulan still cared about her and managed to make her feel better. And it filled her heart with warmth. For the first time in years, she had hope. Hope that maybe she could be free, and happy. And believing in even the possibility of a happy ending is a very powerful thing. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback appreciated :D
> 
> Originally posted on my tumblr 4/18/13


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sleeping Warrior AU. Aurora is the most powerful mob boss in Storybrooke. Her ex-wife, Mulan, is an experienced detective, who has returned to town to help take down organized crime.

Aurora was lying in bed wide awake. Her mind was busy the way it had been since her conversation with Mulan two weeks ago. Her emotions seemed to have a mind of their own, moving between happiness that Mulan still clearly cared for her, and fear that Mulan was putting herself in danger. Her emotions combined with her own determination to protect the woman she still loved, resulted in many sleepless nights and new nightmares.

Philip, who was usually able to comfort her, kept insisting they do something regarding Mulan’s presence since Aurora hadn’t made a decision. Deep down, Aurora knew Philip meant well, but they had argued about the topic again over dinner. Aurora ended the argument abruptly by leaving the table. She went to bed early and left Philip to clean up. She heard Philip enter their bedroom and turned away from him as he changed and got into bed.

"I’m sorry." Philip whispered in a soft, but firm tone. "I shouldn’t have raised my voice like that. I know it’s difficult, but we have to decide what to do. We can’t let this go the same way as the situation with the mayor and sheriff.” Aurora rolled over and looked at Philip. One some level, she knew he was right, but her own inner turmoil prevented her from being rational.

"I know you meant well, Philip. I’m sorry too." She said as she scooted closer to him and he in turn wrapped his arm around her. "I just…I don’t like the idea of manipulating her."

"It’s not manipulation. We’re simply making the best of the situation."

"You can say it a million ways. It still comes to the same thing. I will still feel like we’re using her. And I don’t want to do that. I can’t…she…she…I just can’t view this a business opportunity."

"But we have to do something. We know that she’s been looking into…our competition. Her goals are the same as ours. At least for now. So why not use it to our advantage?"

"I don’t want to put her in anymore danger."

"She’s putting herself in danger. At least if you work with her, you’ll be able to use your influence to protect her…as an asset."

"That’s the problem. I could never consider her an asset. She…Mulan is so much more than that."

"Exactly."

"You don’t see how that could be a problem?"

"You’re not the type to let your emotions run rampant. And I’ll be here to keep you focused."

"That didn’t work for you." Aurora replied. She knew it was a low blow, but she was desperately trying to avoid the inevitable. Deep down, Aurora knew Philip made a valid point, but she didn’t want to put Mulan in harm’s way, again.

"I didn’t have someone who knew what it was like to lose focus and lose…" Philip trailed off as his emotions got the best of him. He still could not speak openly about his wife and daughter who had suffered because of his own’s father’s plans for him. Aurora rubbed his arm gently and they laid in silence as Philip pushed his own painful memories to the back of his mind.

"You need to decide soon. If our enemies start to move in, it’ll be dangerous for all of us. Mulan too." Philip said reiterating the same point he had been making for a week.

Aurora nodded in response and continued thinking about the situation. She started directing her own guilt and anger on Mulan, questioning why she would bother returning to Storybrooke, even though Mulan had told her.

"She still loves you." Philip said as if he could read her mind.

"But…How can anyone love me?"

"I love you."

"It’s not the same." Aurora said quietly.

"Maybe not. But she’s here because she loves you." Philip said with certainty.

Aurora knew Philip was right. She knew there was a pressing need to make a decision as well. The longer she delayed, the weaker she would appear, and rumors spread quickly in such a small town.

"I’ll think about it over the weekend and make a final decision Monday." Aurora said with finality. She pulled herself closer to Philip as she worried about what would happen once she made her decision.

"Thank you for looking out for me." She whispered before drifting off only to be plagued by more nightmares.

_______________________________

Aurora took the familiar trek to the Moe’s flower shop before heading to visit her parents’ graves. As usual, she brought a single rose for her father and a colorful bouquet for her mother. Aurora visited her parents’ regularly, sometimes for herself, but oftentimes she came to think about what to do regarding business. The ‘conversations’ with her parents always provided clarity, something she desperately needed. She gently laid down the flowers on the corresponding side of the grave as she kneeled down on the ground.

"Hi mom, dad. Sorry it’s been so long. It’s been a crazy month."

She looked up at the overcast sky before releasing a sigh and running her hand through her hair.

"Sorry I haven’t been to just say hi for awhile, but business has been difficult recently…Sometimes I wish life were simpler, you know?" Aurora said wearing a sad smile.

_ (Flashback) _

_ "Daddy!" A five year old Aurora yelled as she ran up to her father as he came out from his office. As usual, he lifted his daughter in the air and spun her around in his arms, both wearing giant smiles. _

_ "How was school today, Princess?" _

_ "It was so fun! I drew a picture!" Aurora said happily pointing to her backpack she had put on a table before her father entered. _

_ "Mrs. Blanchard-Nolan said it was the bestest I have done so far!" _

_ "Can I see it?” He asked as he walked, still carrying her, over to her backpack. _

_ "Of course!" Aurora replied as he was in the process of opening her backpack. When he unfolded the paper, his smile faltered for a split second, but Aurora didn’t notice as she was pointing at the drawing and explaining what everything was. _

_ "Here’s our restaurant where you work. And here’s mommy at the community center helping peoples. And see, here I am learning to be the bestest assistant ever. And I want to grow up and be as smart as you both! Maybe I can make them both in one place! But before thats I has to learn. See here’s me learning all about your business from you!" Aurora said happily. _

_ "You want to be just like me?" He asked in a playful voice, but his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. _

_ "Of course! But I’ll be cleaner or wear a smock, like mommy, so I don’t have to throw away so many thingys from spilling stuff." Aurora explained happily. A man came out from the back room and motioned to Aurora’s father who nodded in response. _

_ "Alright, my little princess. Daddy has to go back to boring work stuff. Do you want to go play with Ruby?" He asked gently as he put her down. _

_ "But I want to help!" Aurora said with a pout. He laughed a little before replying. _

_ "When you grow up, I’ll teach you everything. I promise." _

_ "Pinky swear?" Aurora asked holding up her pinky. _

_ "Pinky swear." He said with a smile linking his pinky with hers. "Ready to go to Granny’s? I’ll pick you up later." _

_ "Okay!" Aurora said excitedly before she ran to pick up her backpack.  _

_ "And don’t go into the woods." He said playfully, before turning to one of his bodyguards. "Claude, will you escort my daughter to the diner? And be sure to tell Granny that I’ll be by to pick up my daughter and rent later this evening." _

_ "Sure thing boss." Claude replied as he crouched down to talk to Aurora before taking her hand and leading her out the door. Aurora’s father let out a sigh before walking back into his office carrying his daughter’s drawing with him. _

_ "Sorry for the delay, but some things are more important than business." He said as he opened the bottom drawer of his desk and added Aurora’s newest drawing to his collection. _

_ "Of course." Cora responded with a fake smile. "After all, there is nothing I wouldn’t do for my Regina." _

_ (End Flashback) _

"It’s finally getting warm out," Aurora said changing subjects to avoid discussing the reason for her visit.

"And the storm should pass before the town fair in a couple weeks. It’s coming along nicely this year. I think you’d really like it, mom." Aurora continued with a sad smile.

'That's nice dear.' Aurora could see her mothers smile and hear her  response.

"We decided to try and add some new activities this year. After all, it’s been too long since any real changes have been made. And I’ve been neglecting it, but I made some changes. I think you’d approve, dad. It costs a little extra, but it’s not like the fair is all about making money. Plus, I think it’ll make it more fun. More fun activities instead of lessons. It also helps that more people are willing to come out now. Especially since I gave the mayor more control of planning. Not to mention…" Aurora stopped her rambling when she felt her father’s stern look and could hear his voice.

'That's all very nice sweetheart, but let's not waste too much time. After all, that's not why your here.' Aurora released a sigh. 

"Yes father…I’m sure you’ve heard that Mulan is back in town."

_ (Flashback) _

_ "Aurora? Princess? Please let me in." Aurora heard her father say from outside her bedroom door. She ignored him when he knocked, but the sadness in his voice got to her and he silently let him in before sitting back down on her bed. _

_ "I defended you." Aurora said in a soft voice not looking at her father. "Everyone in school kept telling me you were a bad man. Evil. And I refused to believe it….You always told me you were working for Storybrooke. That you were a businessman. That you were doing stuff in the best interest of our home. And I tried so hard to ignore the rumors….they’re true aren’t they?" _

_ "I…It’s not that simple." He hadn’t planed to have this conversation until Aurora was older. But Aurora had walked in on him conducting some unpleasant business. _

_ "Then explain it to me. I’m not a little girl anymore. Dad, I’m 15 years old. I’ll understand….Why…Why were you beating up that man?" _

_ He took a seat on the bed and released a sigh as he thought about the best way to explain the situation. _

_ "That man…he…he’s not a good man." Aurora looked up angrily. _

_ "That doesn’t give the right t-" Aurora stopped speaking when her father held up a hand to stop her. _

_ "Do you know who he was?" _

_ "Neal’s father." Aurora whispered. He nodded in response before explaining. _

_ "I recently discovered that he has been…hurting his wife…He would never touch Neal, I don’t think…But Neal’s mother recently confided in your mother about this….She’s been trapped, but was starting to worry that he had become even more violent." _

_ "You could have gone to the police. He can go to jail for that. You don’t have to be the one to punish him." _

_ "You do know he’s Mr. Gold’s brother, right?" _

_ Aurora nodded in response and thought about it. Mr. Gold was a powerful man and an excellent lawyer. There were rumors about him as well. He was well known because he wouldn’t always charge money if someone couldn’t afford it. But he could help anyone get away with any crime in Storybrooke. _

_ "He never would have gone to prison, and she would never be free of him. I couldn’t let him get away with that. Neal doesn’t know and it’s probably for the best. Neal’s father now knows the consequences of his actions. I told him to leave. I saw to it that Neal and his mother will be safe and taken care of and Neal doesn’t have to know." _

_ "But…revenge isn’t the solution. Two wrongs don’t make a right. Isn’t that what you always said, dad?" _

“ _ Yes, but sometimes you have to make a hard choice to protect others. Sometimes, you have to do bad things so good people can stay good. Does that make any sense?” _

_ "Not really…I….I just need some space. Could you give me some time?” _

_ "Of course, princess." He said as he got up from the bed and kissed her on the forehead once he got up. "I love you." _

_ "I love you too." She said out of habit more than anything. _

_ "Just don’t tell anyone what you saw okay?" He said pausing at her door. Aurora nodded in response and laid down thinking about how much her world had changed in a single day. _

_ (End Flashback) _

"I’m sure you know all about it father. But I can’t….If I work with her, or use her as a tool for my own gain…I can’t. It just…It feels wrong. And it’ll hurt her. She’s been through enough because of me."

'Broken leg or dead body, Aurora. Broken leg or dead body?' Aurora rolled her eyes. It was the analogy her father used the first time he tried to explain his actions to her. Aurora always thought it was stupid. Even though he only used this metaphor once, somehow after he died she thought of it every time she was conflicted about what to do. 

_ (Flashback) _

_ Aurora’s mother was working late, and Aurora still wasn’t speaking to her father. They sat silently eating dinner and spoke only when absolutely necessary. Aurora refused to even look at her father. _

_ "You know…I don’t enjoy my work. I don’t do it because I want to or find pleasure in doing it." Her father said trying to break the tension. _

_ "Dad, I don’t want to talk about it." Aurora said in a tired voice while looking at her plate. _

_ "I’ll talk, you listen….I don’t enjoy my work. I do it because I have to." _

_ "But you don’t have to. The police can take care of it." _

_ "If I don’t, someone else will fill the void." He continued saying carefully. "There are a lot of people in this town who don’t care about others…they only care about themselves. So I step in to protect the good people from them." _

_ "Two wrongs don’t make a right. You taught me that." _

_ "True…But….Say your given a choice. You can have as much money or power or whatever it is you desire. You can have as much of it as you want…but there’s a price….Someone you know would die." _

_ "I would never —" _

_ "I know. You would never agree to it. Neither would I. But there are plenty of people in Storybrooke that would. They would kill as many people as necessary to get everything they want. Now, what if you could stop them, by say, breaking their leg?" _

_ "That’s dumb. There could be a hundred different ways to stop them without hurting anyone." Aurora said finally looking up. _

_ "Maybe, but what if it’s more than one person you have to convince? More than one person you have to stop? You…break one person’s leg…and that convinces ten others to stop. Is it worth it then?" _

_ "I…I couldn’t imagine hurting anyone." _

_ "I know princess. But there are plenty of horrible people out there who don’t care about others….So I break some legs to save some lives." _

_ "That’s stupid. That doesn’t make it right. That’s a ridiculous argument." _

_ "I don’t do it it because I want to. Just…think about it. Please." He said in a pleading tone. His eyes betrayed his sadness regarding the situation. _

_ "May I be excused?" Aurora asked. She needed to get away from him. His actions and his words were making her feel even more conflicted about the situation. _

_ "Yes princess. I love you." He said softly. _

_ "I love you too." _

_ (End Flashback) _

"She already has a broken leg father. You saw to it." Aurora said angrily.

_ ‘ _ Aurora, you know what the right thing to do is. So why are you asking?’

"Because I don’t know what the right this is father." Aurora said as she stood up. "Is the ‘right thing’ what is right for business, Storybrooke, me or Mulan?"

'Those don't have to be mutually exclusive.'

"But there can’t possibly be a course of action that works for all of those, can there?" Aurora asked uncertainly as she started pacing.

'We both know you've decided what to do already. Why are you questioning it?'

"Because…it can’t be possible. It just can’t. There’s no way this can end well. Someone’s going to get hurt. I’m sure of it. It’s not worth it. It’s not possible for both of us to get out of this in one piece." 

'It is possible sweetie.' Aurora's mother chimed in. 

"How can you be so sure?" Aurora asked in a small, hopeful voice.

'Believe it or not, your father and I were very happy together. We loved each other. At the end of the day, that's all that matters. Friends and family. As long as there's love. It'll all work out.'

"But how can she possibly still love me?" Aurora asks still unsure of herself.

"I already told you. Because your heart hasn’t changed." A voice says from behind her and Aurora turns around wide eyed to see Mulan smiling at her.

_ (Flashback) _

_ "How can you do it, mom?" Aurora asked as she sat on the couch with her mother one night. It had been a month since she walked in on her father punching a man tied to a chair and a week since he tried to explain it to her. She hadn’t spoken to him since, but decided she needed to talk to someone about what she had seen and learned. Aurora understood his reasoning somewhat, but kept coming to the same conclusion that he was doing some terrible things. _

_ "Do what sweetheart?" _

_ "Stand by him…when he does…bad stuff." Aurora said unable to articulate what her father’s business was. While she had avoided talking to him, she started thinking about all the rumors she had denied in the past about her father. And it only made her feel worse when she thought that it all might be true. Or at least more true than she had originally thought. _

_ "I mean, you work to help people all the time.You could earn more money, but instead you work for minimum wage at the community center. How can you deal with his work." Aurora continued when her mother failed to respond. _

_ "It’s not that simple" Her mother said with a sigh. "He’s doing the best he can. Your father is a good man Aurora…You know we met when we both volunteered at the hospital, right?" _

_ Aurora nodded in response. _

_ "He’s still that man. His heart is in the right place. He wants to do what’s the best for the town, to help others. Believe or not, Storybrooke used to be a very dangerous place. And your father tried to make it better. And found that the way to do it was…not the most appealing, but it worked." _

_ "But how can you support him?" _

_ "Because…he’s still the same man I fell in love with. He wants to make Storybrooke a better place. And it is now. It’s safer. He doesn’t do it because he wants to. He does it because he has to." _

_ "But how do —" _

_ "Aurora, the world isn’t just black and white. Good and evil. Heroes and villains. And I’m sorry you had to learn this at such a young age. I know your father didn’t want to burden you with this. But his heart is in the right place." Her mother spoke gently with such a sense of certainty that Aurora didn’t know how she could doubt her mother’s word. _

_ _______________________ _

_ A week later Aurora sat at dinner with her parents. The tension was unbearable and she hated not speaking with her father. She didn’t know  if she could see him the same way she used, but the pain in his eyes reflected her own. And it told her that he had been genuine when he tried to explain his work to her earlier. While she didn’t fully understand her father until after he died, she tried to accept the truth. For the most part she ignored it to the best of her ability. Aurora knew that she had to be the one to take the next step. _

_ "You look good father. Is that a new shirt?" Aurora said as she ate. It was a simple sentence and the first words she had spoken to him in weeks.  _

_ "Yes. Yes it is." His smile was genuine and it looked as if a huge weight had been lifted. _

_ "I like it." Aurora said maintaining eye contact. The words were left unsaid, she still loved her father, even if she didn’t love his work. _

_ (End Flashback) _

”I….what….how…?”

"I called your phone because I haven’t seen you around for a couple weeks now. And we still have a lot to talk about…Philip answered and said I could find you here."

"I’m going to kill him." Aurora muttered while shaking her head. Mulan took a couple steps forward and acknowledged Aurora’s parents.

”Sir, ma’am” She said with a nod of her head. And looked over to see Aurora smiling.

"Really? You still don’t know how to address them? Still?"

"I guess not." Mulan replied with a smile and a shrug. "So what brings you out here on this…cloudy day?"

"Business." Aurora says as casually as she can. "And why did you want to speak with me?"

"Because you’ve been avoiding me." Aurora shot her a confused look so she continued. "I wanted to know why."

"I thought it was obvious." Aurora replied. "You’re working to destroy my business. It kind of makes it hard to make conversation."

"Then you misunderstood why I’m here." 

"I know why your here Mulan." Aurora replied while rolling her eyes. "You made that perfectly clear the last time we spoke. You and your ridiculous sense of honor and need to keep a promise."

"A promise that has nothing to do with ‘destroying your business.’ It’s about you Aurora, not your work."

"What on earth does that mean?" Aurora asked and Mulan paused for a moment to figure out how to phrase her response. She spoke slowly as if she was carefully selecting each word to say as she spoke.

"It’s not like I’ve hidden the truth from you Aurora. I promised to protect you and free you from your past. To help you make your life your own. To make you happy. I’m here to do just that. I’m here to free you."

Aurora didn’t know how to respond to that so she didn’t say anything. She turned to face her parents grave and felt Mulan step next to her and they stood silently thinking about what to do next.

"You know you don’t have to fight me. At least, not if you don’t want to." Mulan said with a sigh. "You’re stuck as long as others are a threat…We can work together you know."

"It’s not that simple."

"Only if you choose to make it more complicated."

"I don’t choose to make it more complicated. It is complicated. The world isn’t as easy as good and evil. Black and white. Our past makes it complicated, Mulan."

"Complicated or not. A promise is a promise. And I’ll be here until it’s fulfilled and then I’ll leave….if that’s what you truly want." 

"I wouldn’t want that." Aurora whispered. "But what I want doesn’t matter. This isn’t some fairy tale where you save the princess and we live happily ever after."

"Nothing about our relationship was ever remotely fairy tale like. But our story isn’t over yet. Besides, love is sacrifice. I thought you knew that. You can have your happy ending…even if it’s not with me." Mulan’s voice cracked on the last part.

She actually hadn’t meant to include herself when talking about Aurora’s future, but it slipped out. Aurora’s conflicting emotions prevented her from replying. On one hand she loved Mulan and wanted to be with her more than she could say. But Mulan had already been injured because she had fought for a life with her. And trying to return to that relationship would put her in danger all over again.

"That’s all I wanted to say. You don’t have to fight me, Aurora." Mulan said quietly as she looked at Aurora who refused return her gaze. "Well, I guess I’ll see you around?"

"Yeah…it is a small town after all." 

"Cora Mills is a piece of work, huh?" Mulan said after a second before walking away. Aurora turned to watch her go, not knowing what to make of her final statement.

'She's right you know.' Aurora heard her father's voice once Mulan was out of sight. 'Cora Mills never did care for anything other than power.'

'She's right about more than that. You can be happy Aurora. If you let yourself believe that….plus she basically just admitted that she still loves you too.' She heard her mother speak as well.

Aurora just smiled and shook her head. Her parents were right. She knew it. It seemed as if her mind was made up, but that didn’t stop her from being afraid of how it all might end horribly.

______________________________

Aurora stood outside the sheriff’s station holding a file in her hand and taking a deep breath. She was trying to make herself enter, but found all her doubts returning. She had finally made a decision. Working with Mulan would help her keep Storybrooke safer. Since Mulan was determined to help “free” her, Aurora knew they could find some common ground, even if it was only temporary. It was a chance to interact with Mulan again in a non-adversarial manner. Something Aurora wanted even if she was afraid to say it aloud.

Aurora heard Mulan and Emma laughing about something before she entered the room. She stood still and made eye contact with Mulan. They all stood silently before Emma cleared her throat.

"I’ll…uh….go get some coffee." Emma said leaving Mulan and Aurora alone.

"So…what can I do for you, Aurora?" Mulan asked unsure of why Aurora would show up unannounced.

"You were right. We do have…uh…common goals."

"Okay….?" 

"Here." Aurora said holding out some files. 

"What’s that?" Mulan asked not moving from where she was standing.

"Everything I have on Cora Mills…If you want to help me….then you have to start by….uh….helping get rid of my competition." Aurora said carefully while maintaining eye contact with Mulan. She hoped to make her point clear  and her inability to articulate herself around Mulan was getting in her way.

"So…this is hard evidence?" Mulan questioned unsure of her motive.

"Yes."

"Why didn’t you hand it over earlier?"

"Because."

"You’re going to have to do better than that."

"Earlier, the evidence wouldn’t have been enough. I trust that you, of all people, can follow through and put her away." Aurora said maintaining eye contact, but she could see Mulan’s understandable uncertainty.

"If your going to put yourself in danger, I figured you might as well be successful." Aurora said awkwardly.

"How do I know I can trust you? That this isn’t some trap to discredit me?"

"You were right about a lot of things you said the other day…and your the one who said I have a good heart."

"You have information about everyone in town, don’t you." Mulan said carefully to make sure she understood Aurora’s explanation.

"If you can get Cora Mills put away for good…then maybe we don’t have to be on opposite sides."

"For now." Mulan said with a hint of a smile.

"Yes…for now." Aurora replied with a nod. Mulan took a step forward and held out her hand for the file. And Aurora mistook the action and gave her a handshake.

"I…uh…was asking for the file." Mulan said awkwardly with a raised eyebrow. Aurora released an embarrassed ’oh’  with a blush letting go of Mulan’s hand before handing over the file. 

"So…I’ll take a look at these, compare it to what we’ve got, and give you call."

"I look forward to hearing from you." Aurora said with a smile.

"I guess I’ll be seeing you."

Aurora nodded in response before turning to leave. This was going to be harder than she thought.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback much appreciated
> 
> Originally Posted on my tumblr 4/30/13


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sleeping Warrior AU. Aurora is the most powerful mob boss in Storybrooke. Her ex-wife, Mulan, is an experienced detective, who has returned to town to help take down organized crime.

"Good morning." Emma said hesitantly when she walked into the office to see Mulan sitting at her desk Tuesday morning.

When Emma had returned to the office the previous day, Mulan sat silently at her desk before leaving for lunch and not returning. Emma figured the discussion had been too intense, but still wanted to know what had happened considering Aurora had come to the office, something she almost never did.

"Good morning…Thanks." Mulan said as she took the coffee Emma handed her. "How was your day?"

"Nothing special." Emma replied with a shrug. "It was nice to have a break from reading all the organized crime files. But I did have a lot of stuff to catch up on. Mostly paperwork, but also a couple shoplifters to look into. Nothing major."

"I’m sorry I ran out on you, but I just wasn’t sure what to make of this." Mulan said as she took the file Aurora had given her out of her bag. "Aurora left it for us. I read most of it yesterday…I’m worried this could be a trick or trap or something…but she seemed genuine."

"Well, you’re the one who can usually tell when she was lying."

"Yeah, but that was a long time ago. A lot has changed since then. Not to mention, this is work, which is very different. So I’m not sure I can trust my gut on this."

"Well, we can’t just ignore it." Emma stated carefully.

"True…I guess we’ll just have to be cautious." Mulan agreed.

"So have you been through it yet?"

"Yeah, most of it. I have to double check, but if memory serves it matches everything we know for the most part. But with more details about…" Mulan trailed off since she wasn’t sure how to tell Emma it was her mother-in-law.

"What is it?" Emma asked. "Or who is it?"

“She says it should be enough to take down Cora Mills.” 

"Oh." Emma said quietly. "We…uh…we haven’t spoken with Cora since…well not really much since we got married. I mean…I think Regina spoke to her…Because Cora sought her out… but I don’t know what they talked about. Regina was pretty upset every time it happened."

"Understandable." Mulan said with a nod. She was about to continue, but was cut off by the phone ringing.

"Sheriff station." Emma picked up.

"What is it this time Mr. Gold?" Emma said exasperated. "…That’s not my jurisdiction…okay…fine….I said okay, I’ll be right there." Emma looked annoyed as she put the phone down.

"We can finish talking about this later." Mulan said understanding that Mr. Gold would be persistent if Emma didn’t go immediately.

"Yeah…probably not until after lunch. We need to make a more concrete plan. Think about it and we can discuss it after lunch." Emma said as she headed out the door.

Mulan nodded in response, before turning to the file Aurora had given her. She opened the file to continue reading, but didn’t process much of the information as she was preoccupied thinking about how they should proceed.

_ (Flashback) _

_ "Hey." Mulan turned her head when she heard Emma’s voice. _

_ "Hey. What are you doing here? I thought you were spending the night at Regina’s place?" Mulan asked before she returned her gaze to the harbor. _

_ "I was….but her mom kind of came home early. I had to jump out of Regina’s window….again." Emma said with a smile as she moved to stand next to Mulan, who was leaning on a railing along the harbor.  _

_ "What’s got you all pensive?" Emma asked noticing that Mulan was distracted. "Aren’t you ready for tomorrow? I thought you’d be excited to celebrate your anniversary." _

_ "Yeah, I’m ready. We made our plans. We’re going out for dinner then going to the town fair…but it doesn’t seem like enough. She deserves…so much more. Especially to celebrate such an occasion." Mulan said in a monotone voice. Emma looked exasperated as they had had this conversation before. _

_ "Aw come on. You know Aurora loves you no matter what. She doesn’t need the grand gestures." Emma said trying to cheer up her friend. Mulan looked over at Emma for a moment as if she was going to say something, but just turned her head to look over the harbor again.  _

_ "What is it?" Emma asked noticing the action. _

_ "What if she doesn’t?" Mulan asked in a small voice. _

_ "How can you even say that?" Emma responded softly. "Aurora has made her feelings pretty clear. She says it often enough. The way she looks at you. Her actions…it’s pretty clear how she feels about you." _

_ "But what if —" _

_ Emma cut off Mulan by grabbing her shoulders and turning her so that they were facing each other. Emma decided to stop Mulan before she descended into her worry spiral. _

_ "Mulan, look at me" Emma said as tried to get Mulan to make eye contact. Once Mulan lifted her eyes off the ground, Emma continued. _

_ "Aurora loves you. She’s not going to hurt you. And there is no way in hell she would cheat on you. Aurora loves you. She does. She would never hurt you. Not like that. Don’t do this to yourself. She’s not Jasmine. Aurora knows you’ve been through hell. And unlike Meg she realizes how tough it was for you and will not put you through that shit again. She loves you. Aurora would never do that to you. Mulan. She. Loves. You." Emma said sincerely. She paused briefly to let her words sink in before continuing. _

_ "I’ll say it as many times as I have to, to get it through that stubborn head of yours. Aurora loves you. And you have to trust that there is someone out there who you can trust. And love freely who loves you back. Someone you can be happy with." Emma finished as they started walking down the path that went around the harbor. _

_ "They said the same thing. And I never thought either of them would cheat on me either…Especially Meg." Mulan said quietly.  _

_ "Do you really think Aurora would do that to you?" Emma repeated her question trying her best to cheer up her friend. When Mulan failed to answer, Emma tried a different approach to convince her friend. _

_ "Well, I never thought I’d have a family after my parents abandoned me. I got shoved around to a bunch of foster homes. Some serious assholes. Like bad guy movie type stuff. No one cared about me. At least not until James sent me to live with David and Mary-Margaret. Now look at me. I’ve got a family. I love them, they love me. Well, I mean, I can’t call them parents really cause they’re too young to really b—" _

_ "And you’re repeating your life story to me because?" Mulan questioned to prevent Emma from continuing on another tangent. _

_ "I guess I’m trying to say shit happens. But that doesn’t mean you won’t ever be happy. I mean I never thought I’d have a family. But now I have David and Mary-Margaret who love me and look out for me. I got a kid, Henry, and his dad, Neal is…well…he’s kind of an ass, but he’s trying to be a good guy. Regina and I…well we’re working on it…Not perfect, but it’s something. I’ve got a family. And after all the shit I went through, I never thought it would happen. You can be happy too, Mulan. You can’t let all the shit in your past stop you now."  _

_ "But it’s different." Mulan said resolutely. "You have Regina and you guys can be happy together. Besides your issues aren’t….They’re not the same as mine." _

_ "Are you seriously saying my relationship is easy because our issues are different than yours? Seriously? You do realize that the two of us have more commitment issues than….than…" Emma just motioned wildly as she couldn’t find the right words. " _

_ Okay, we have more issues…than I don’t know what. But our insecurities could sink a ship. I tell you. But we care about each other and that’s what matters…that and…the sex is hot” Emma said with a smirk as she started to stare off into space dreamily. _

_ "What?" Emma asked snapping out of it when Mulan loudly cleared her throat. Emma looked at Mulan, surprised by her blushing. _

_ It wasn’t as if they had never talked about sex, especially since Emma talked about it often and Mulan divulged her own experiences after much prodding by Emma and Ruby. Then, something occurred to Emma regarding the topic. _

_ "Hold up. You guys have…you know" Emma said unsure of how to phrase it in a polite enough manner that wouldn’t end with yet another bruised arm courtesy of her over protective friend. _

_ "…you mean you haven’t…"  Emma said shocked. When Mulan never spoke about it, Emma figured she was too honorable or something to speak of it. _

_ "Wow…wait…that’s not why your questioning how much Aurora loves you, is it? I mean come on Mulan you should know that your relationship is so much more than sex." Emma asked as she stopped walking and held out an arm to stop Mulan as well. _

_ "I…I know that…but what if…." Mulan took a deep breath because she hated voicing these fears. _

_ "But what if she’s not…What if she’s not because she doesn’t really love me.  I know she would never sleep with anyone else, but what if she isn’t doing it because she doesn’t care about me enough. It’s not like she’s nervous because she’s never done it. So it must be something else." Mulan explained. _

_ Before Emma could respond, Mulan started to walking again. Emma walked quickly to catch up but didn’t say anything. They continued walking in silence as they walked onto the pier. Mulan deep in thought regarding her relationship with Aurora and Emma was trying to find the right thing to say. _

_ (End Flashback) _

_ “ _ So what did Gold want?” Mulan asked when Emma returned to the station following lunch.

"To get me to force Moe to pay rent. I explained to him, as calmly as I could, that their contract stated he could be three months overdue before police involvement and Moe was only a month overdue. Sometimes I swear he has it out for Moe, but I have no idea why."

"Mr. Gold doesn’t need a reason. He just loves power and enjoys showing off that he has it."

"Good point. Shall we get to work…Zordon." Emma said with a smirk. Mulan rolled her eyes before replying.

"Well, seeing as you have the maturity of a teenager I guess that works……as long as you’re the pink ranger." Mulan replied with a smirk of her own.

"What? No way…I’m totally the green ranger. Total ass kicker. Regina can the pink ranger."

"I’m going to tell her you said that." Mulan said in a sing song voice. When Emma faked a look of shock, Mulan continued with a laugh.

“Besides, the pink ranger was bad ass….and hot.” Mulan added with a smile. Emma chuckled before responding.

"Good point…Alright, so have you thought about what to do?"

"Yeah…so it seems you’ve been putting off other Storybrooke stuff since we started." Mulan said slowly.

"Yeah, but I got August and David to help out in their free time."

"Either way, I think you should put your Sheriff duties first and I’ll focus on all the organized crime stuff. Storybrooke still needs it’s sheriff to make sure everything is normal…or as normal as Storybrooke can get."

"But…all of this is way too much for one person to handle." Emma replied confused and slightly worried.

"No, I don’t think it will be……Plus, I won’t be going it alone."

"You can’t be serious. Do you really think that’s a good idea?" Emma asked surprised that Mulan would suggest such a thing.

"We’ll see." Mulan replied with a shrug. "But I’ll check in with you every once in awhile and you can make sure I’m not doing anything crazy." Emma nodded in response as she wasn’t sure if there was anything she could say to convince Mulan to change her mind.

"Besides, everyone seems to agree on one thing." Mulan added.

"And what’s that?"

"We still…..Well, at least, I never stopped…" Mulan cleared her throat as she tried to find the right words.

"There’s still something between us." Mulan said unsure how to refer to the connection that still existed between her and Aurora. 

"I still don’t think it’s a good idea." Emma said still worried despite the fact that she agreed with Mulan’s assessment of the situation.

"Well, it’s not set in stone yet. We’ll see how this Cora business goes down and go from there….speaking of which….do you think I could talk to Regina about this?" Mulan said changing subjects, which Emma noticed, but allowed for now.

"She wouldn’t know much more than we do."

"Are you sure?" Mulan asked. When Emma looked conflicted, Mulan tried to ease her fears. "At least let me talk to her. Even if she doesn’t have anything to add on Cora’s business dealings, Regina might be able to provide insight into Cora that we can’t get out of files."

"Sure. That makes sense." Emma said with a nod still unsure. "Let me tell her tonight and you can speak to her later this week. She would want a heads up."

"Alright. Then I can finish going through the files before I see her. Now, you go get started on that pile of paperwork I know you’ve been putting off." Mulan said in a tone that left nothing to question.

"Okay." Emma said as she went towards her office before pausing in the doorway. "And we’ll have weekly meetings so I can make sure your not being an idiot."

Mulan smirked in response and nodded before turning back to the file she was reading. Emma waited for her friend’s response before sitting at her desk and thinking that maybe Mulan was the missing piece in their fight to bring down organized crime.

_ (Flashback) _

_ Mulan and Emma had walked silently to the end of the pier. When they got to the end they both sat down and continued looking out over the harbor. Emma kept glancing over to Mulan trying to think of the right thing to say and debating whether she should just let Mulan speak first. _

_ "You know, you could have told me." Emma said once she decided to change the focus of their conversation for the time being. _

_ "What?" Mulan asked snapping out of her own thoughts. _

_ "When I freaking out about me and Regina. And whether it would work out. When you were being an awesome friend listening to me freak out like an idiot. You’re the one who kept telling me she wouldn’t leave or treat me like shit and a bunch of other stuff…I wish you told me….Guess I’m a shitty friend for not noticing, huh?" _

_ "No…that’s not why I didn’t tell you. I mean listening to you..it was better than thinking about this all the time. Well…really it’s only been bothering me more since she started talking about what we should do for our anniversary." _

_ "Understandable…But does she know?" _

_ "Know what?" _

_ "About all the crap you’ve been through….or that you’re freaking out about the fact that she won’t do it with you?" _

_ "Yes…She knows about my exes. Yes, she knows how my previous relationships ended, but not about my worries. I didn’t want to burden her with that as well." _

_ "You should tell her about your worries too. Isn’t that an important part of a relationship? You always said communication was the most important component to maintaining a healthy relationship." _

_ "Yes, but I don’t know if it was the right thing to tell her." _

_ "How on earth could telling her be the wrong thing?" Emma asked confusion plainly written on her face.  _

_ "I told her everything." _

_ "As far as I know, honesty is very important in maintaining a healthy relationship. Honesty and communication. So if you’ve told her everything then that’s good, right?"  _

_ "I’m not sure." Mulan said frustrated. “I mean, I feel like Aurora wasn’t sure what to do with all the information. Like by telling her, I gave her some burden. A burden to fix it…or something.” _

_ "You didn’t burden her. It’s good that she knows. Otherwise it would be some great secret you would feel the need to hide. Honesty is good." _

_ Mulan nodded is agreement and they sat in a comfortable silence. Emma hoped that she had finally gotten through, but Mulan had a lot on her mind. _

_ "Do you think it’s because I can’t say it?" Mulan asked looking over at her friend. When Emma responded with a confused look, Mulan continued. "I haven’t been able to tell her I love her. I haven’t been able to say it…at least not really….could that be why she’s not ready to have sex. I know she wants to hear it. The look on her face everyti—" _

_ "Mulan, she knows what you’ve been through. I’m sure she understands." Emma interrupted with certainty. "And the sex thing, well, that could be completely unrelated." Emma finished, but Mulan didn’t hear her. _

_ "I know how I feel about her, but why can’t I just say it?" Mulan asked before continuing speaking more to herself than Emma. _

_ "After I caught Jasmine cheating on me I didn’t let myself get that attached to Meg, but somehow she ended up hurting me just as badly, if not worse. I mean, catching Jasmine…that hurt. And I thought Meg was a saint for appearing when she did. Right place, right time and all of that. I tried not to get too close because of what happened…but that went to hell too." Mulan said her face betraying the pain as she recalled the memory. Emma didn’t know what to say so she scooted closer to rub Mulan’s back as she continued speaking softly. _

_ "And then I get to college. Fresh start. And I meet Aurora and she’s amazing." Mulan said as she started smiling at the thought of Aurora. _

_ "I finally get the courage to talk to her and we get together and it’s been great. Aurora is so great. Kind. Caring. Determined. Strong. She’s just a good person, you know?" Mulan said as her voice started to sound more upset. _

_ "I love her so damn much. Why can’t I just say it?" Mulan said in a small voice as she dropped her head into her hands. Emma contemplated what to say and after a couple minutes, she ran her hand through her hair before taking a deep breath and speaking. _

_ "I’m sure Aurora understands…Sometimes it just takes time. Aurora is definitely willing to wait because she loves you. But Mulan, if that’s how you feel you got to put yourself out there. I know for a fact that you love her and she loves you. And that is something worth fighting for. It’s not always easy. But as long as you guys love each other…Well, then that’s all that matters.” Emma said maintaining eye contact to ensure that her friend accepted her statement. _

_ Seeing the sincerity in her friend’s expression comforted Mulan more than she thought was possible. Feeling speechless, she nodded her head as a smile started to form.  _

_ "You’re right. Aurora….deserves to know….and everything that could be between us…it is worth it. It really is." Mulan said with a small smile forming. _

_ "And if it ends horribly, we’ll find you some lovely ladies to sleep with. It worked once to get you in a place to date again. So it’ll definitely work again, especially now that your way more…experienced." Emma finished jokingly with a wink, which managed to widen the smile on Mulan’s face. Emma reached over and gave Mulan a side hug. _

_ "Thanks, Emma. I should have told you earlier." Mulan said leaning into the hug. _

_ "Damn straight." _

_ "How did you know what to say?" _

_ "Maybe…I learned from the best" Emma said as she stood up and helped Mulan stand up as well. _

_ "Oh yeah. Who?" Mulan asked genuinely curious as they started walking back towards the dorms. _

_ "You." Emma replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I channeled my inner Mulan to tell me what to say to real life Mulan. And hey it worked!…But seriously you helped me through my shit with Regina. It was about time I returned the favor." Emma finished with a smile. _

_ Mulan smiled as they walked back and Emma switched the topic back to her and Regina. Emma was extremely excited since apparently sex with Regina was always better after she had a confrontation with her mother. Mulan smiled and enjoyed the story as she thought of how lucky she was to have a friend like Emma who could understand her issues with trust and help her move past them to be with Aurora. _

_ (End Flashback) _

"Whatcha got there?" Ruby asked as she gave Mulan her burger. She had spent the day reading up on Cora and was prepared to meet with Regina the following day. 

"A ring." Mulan replied.

"I can see that." Ruby was free to speak since Mulan had come in after the dinner rush had passed.

"It’s the ring I gave Aurora on our first anniversary." Mulan stated as she put it in her pocket.

"Oh, you don’t have to put it away. Sorry I was interrupting." Ruby said as she made to walk away, but was stopped by Mulan.

"No, wait. Sit. It’d be nice to have distraction. Besides, we haven’t spoken in awhile. Sorry I just got busy with work stuff."

"Don’t worry about it. I totally understand." Ruby said sincerely as she moved to sit across from Mulan. "So should I ask why you were staring at that ring."

"I don’t know…I guess since the fair is coming up. And being back in town. And speaking to Aurora. And I guess all of it. It’s just a reminder I guess." Mulan said as she started eating.

"Of what?" Ruby asked wondering which part of their anniversary Mulan was referring to.

"That…This is going to sound cheesy, but a reminder that our relationship wasn’t always perfect. Even in the beginning when everyone says it’s supposed to be all magical, our relationship was a struggle, but it was worth it, you know?" Mulan said before taking another bite out of her food.

"Yeah, I know." Ruby said with a knowing smile and a nod. "So you did return to get the girl?"

Mulan had just taken another bite, so she replied with a shrug. Ruby just gave her a look which clearly said ‘that’s not an answer and you know it.’ 

"So how’s it been going with Belle?" Mulan asked to change the subject.

"I don’t know what your talking about." Ruby said suddenly finding the table very interesting.

"I thought you said you would at least try to talk to her more."

"Yes, talking is great….when it’s not awkward. But something feels…different? I don’t know. She’s been around more and it’s great. Sometimes we talk and it’s like nothings changed, but then she’ll mention a date or a night out or something and I just…it’s hard." Ruby explained.

"I get it. Don’t force it. If it’s meant to happen it will, even if it takes a little time…And in my humble opinion, it’s meant to happen. You guys are meant to get back together. I’m sure of it." Mulan said with a smile as she reached across the table to give Ruby’s hand a comforting squeeze. They both turned to look when the bell above the door rang and Mulan immediately moved her hand back.

"Belle." Ruby said getting up immediately and Mulan could hear the smile on her face. "What are you doing here so late?"

"I…I was hungry?" Belle said in a very uncertain voice glancing back and forth between Mulan and Ruby.

"Was that a statement or a question?"

"Statement?" Ruby and Mulan both laughed. It seemed unusual that Belle would be unsure of herself, even after her memory loss.

"Alright, have a seat. Burger and iced tea coming right up." Ruby said with a smile. Belle moved to sit across from Mulan when Ruby moved behind the counter.

"You should ask her." Mulan said with a smile as she took another bite of her burger before shoving some fries into her mouth.

"I…are you sure she wouldn’t be inconvenienced?" Belle asked uncertainly. She started fidgeting with her hands. "I mean…I guess we were close before…but it’s been so long."

"Belle…your friendship would mean the world to her." Mulan said softly and couldn’t help but notice Belle’s disappointment when she said ‘friendship.’ She shook her head and thought to herself  how they could both still be acting like love-struck teenagers.

"Just ask." Mulan said as she got up and put some money on the table as Ruby brought out Belle’s food.

"Ask what?" Mulan heard Ruby ask as she walked out the door.

_ (Flashback) _

_ "Come out Aurora or I swear I’ll huff and puff and bl—" Ruby stopped talking once Aurora opened the door. "Wow….you look…wow" Ruby said winking at her best friend. _

_ "I don’t know about this Ruby…" Aurora said hesitantly walking out of the bathroom wearing a red thong and a matching bra. She looked in the mirror and had a strong desire to cover herself as she felt the clothing was not nearly enough to be considered clothing at all.  _

_ "I don’t think I can pull this off. Do you have anything…that’s more…that isn’t quite so…just something more?" Aurora asked as she fidgeted trying to cover herself. _

_ "Okay. No problem. The idea is to feel sexy, so you need to be confident….try this one." Ruby said pulling out a different combination that was black with red accents. "This one is a little more…substantial." _

_ "Okay," Aurora said grabbing the outfit Ruby was holding out before heading back into the bathroom. "Thanks again for the help. I really appreciate it." _

_ "No problem." Ruby replied through the bathroom door. "Though really I don’t know why you waited this long. You know you don’t have to make it a big deal right?" _

_ "I know. I just…I want it to be special." Aurora said opening the door again wearing the black outfit with red accents. _

_ "And there’s nothing wrong with that." Ruby replied as Aurora again looked at herself in the mirror. While it was more substantial than the red one Aurora still felt a strong desire to cover herself. However, in this case it was only the underwear which she wished to stretch out to cover herself some more. _

_ "So?" Ruby asked. _

_ "I don’t…It’s still too short." Aurora said pulling the underwear down as if she could stretch it out. _

_ "It’s okay…but you do realize that’s the point, right? And she’s going to see you naked anyway?" Ruby said jokingly as she pulled out another set. Aurora grabbed the hanger Ruby held out and returned to the bathroom looking upset. _

_ "I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—" Ruby said gently through the door before being interrupted. _

_ "I know." Aurora said through the door. "I just want it to be perfect. I love Mulan so much. Is that so wrong?" _

_ "Nope. Nothing wrong with that at all." Ruby said as Aurora opened the door again walking out to look at herself in the mirror. _

_ “Well?” Ruby said looking like a hopeful puppy when Aurora started to smile. _

_ "This is it…I think." Aurora said turning around as she looked in the mirror. The light purple combination seemed modest enough for her…or as modest as lingerie could really be. _

_ "Awesome." Ruby said a wide grin forming on her face. "I don’t know what your so anxious about you look hot….what? I’m allowed to appreciate how you look? I know I’m your friend, but I’m not blind." Ruby said at Aurora’s glare. _

_ “Besides, I have Belle.” Ruby continued as Aurora returned to the bathroom to put on her regular clothing. _

_ "But that doesn’t mean I can’t wait to hear how good Mulan is in bed." Ruby said as Aurora exited the bathroom. At that, Aurora glared at her friend before promptly stepping forward and hitting her on the back of the head.  _

_ "Ow…your stronger than you look. You know that?" Ruby said rubbing the back of her head still grinning as Aurora sat across from Ruby on her bed. _

_ "Don’t talk about Mulan like that." Aurora said sternly. "You really should know that by now." _

_ "Yeah, yeah. But really as your friend isn’t that part of the job description?" Ruby replied. _

_ "Besides, it’s not like I’m insulting her. I mean with all that experience she’s got, I’m sure…what’s wrong?" Ruby asked when she saw Aurora’s face fall. _

_ "Nothing." _

_ "Tell that to your face….wait, she’s not pressuring you into this?" Ruby said angrily as it was the first time the thought had occurred to her. "Because if she is, I swear I’ll—" _

_ "What? NO, never. Mulan would never push me into it. You should know better than that. Actually, she’s been amazingly accepting of…me wanting to wait. Since the first time we…" Aurora trailed off at the memory and started blushing profusely. She cleared her throat before finishing. "No, she hasn’t pressured me at all in that regard." _

_ "Okay….sorry it just occurred to me. But what is it then?" Ruby asked worried about her friend. After a long beat, Aurora responded in a small voice. _

_ ”What if I’m no good? And after that—” Aurora asked as she started to hug one of Ruby’s pillows. _

_ "Aurora, don’t think like that. I know that Mulan….." Ruby paused to find the right words to comfort Aurora.  _

_ "You can say it Ruby. Mulan has been with more than her fair share of girls. She’s…experienced." Aurora said bluntly sounding upset. _

_ "You make it sound like she’s been with the entire state of Maine. And we both know that’s not true seeing as she can still name every girl she’s been with." _

_ "That doesn’t mean anything. That says more about who she is than anything else." _

_ "Well, if you’re going to be like that, let’s break it down. After she was in exactly two relationships, which both ended when she caught her girlfriend cheating on her, she avoided the whole relationship thing…which is completely understandable. But she managed to remember everyone she was with in the meantime….let’s see the two girls she called ‘snow white,’  and ‘the evil queen’ and then there was Kida, Alice, Wendy, Per-" _

_ "Not helping, Ruby." Aurora interrupted not wanting to listen to the entire list, which she already knew. _

_ "Okay, my point is she didn’t care about any of them. Well, not enough to get into a real relationship with them. But she loves you. And that’s all that matters."  _

_ "But what if I’m terrible. I mean it’s not like I’ve never….but not to the same extent that she has. And I —" _

_ "Okay, stop it. She loves you. All those other girls…why else would she be willing to tell you all that unless she cared about you and didn’t want to keep secrets? huh?" When Aurora failed to look any happier and remained silence, Ruby tried a different angle. _

_ "I’ve been with my fair share of people. But I love Belle. And she knows as much as she wanted to know. But here’s the thing. It’s better because I love her. And I’m sure that’s what it’ll be like with Mulan. I would know. It’s better because of our relationship. Trust me. You do trust me don’t you?" _

_ "Of course I trust you. But you’re not—" Aurora was interrupted by a knock at the door. _

_ Ruby got up to answer the door. It was Granny asking her to come to the diner to help clean up since it was after closing time. Ruby looked over to Aurora who nodded, so Ruby agreed to help out. _

_ "Aurora, Mulan loves you. And I’m sure your great in bed, I mean you managed to hold on to Jane while she was around that summer. But my point is, that your feelings for each other make it better. And Mulan loves you and that’s all that matters." Ruby said trying to comfort Aurora, who nodded in response. _

_ While she understood Ruby’s reasoning, Aurora still had her doubts. However, she allowed Ruby to distract her as she cleaned the diner discussing her own plans for the weekend with Belle. _

_ (End Flashback _ )

"Aurora? What can I do for you?" Regina said surprised when she answered the door.

"I wanted to check in and see how you’re doing." Aurora said with a smile. Regina looked uncertain but opened the door further to let Aurora into the house.

"Would you like something to drink? I’m making some tea right now."

"Sure." Aurora said as she followed Regina to the kitchen. "So how are you feeling?" She asked as she sat down.

"Much better thank you for asking." Regina said with a smile. "But you didn’t really come all this way to ask how I’m doing?"

"Nothing ever gets by you, does it?" Aurora said politely. "Well, I also wanted to give you this." Aurora said pulling out an envelope.

"What’s the occasion?" Regina asked as she took the envelope from Aurora.

"Your accident…I’m sure you guessed that it wasn’t really an accident." Aurora said guiltily.

"Oh?"

"Well, you know I can’t say much…but I guess I feel bad that I wasn’t able to protect you."

"That wasn’t your fault Aurora." Regina said gently.

"Those are season passes for Snow Stables. I know how much you love riding. And I’m sure Henry would love to go riding. Emma will….well, she’ll try because she loves you."

"Thank you." Regina said with a small laugh. "But that’s not all. Is it?"

"No." Aurora said with a sigh silently wishing Regina wasn’t so perceptive. "How much does Emma tell you about her work?"

"Just about everything….this is about my mother isn’t it?" Regina asked with a sigh. Aurora exhaled loudly before replying.

"Cora will be the easiest to take down. Her….associates have come to realize…." Aurora paused and continued hesitantly as she wasn’t sure how to best describe Regina’s mother. "They know…how much she craves power and that her methods are…not very successful."

"You know I can’t….she may not have been the world’s greatest mother…But…I still…I can’t…" Regina trailed off at a loss for words.

"I understand." Aurora said softly. "But she’s still dangerous to have around." Regina nodded in agreement.

"But you know I won’t…I can’t do…One way or another…as much as I would like to be free of her…she’s still my mother." Regina said weakly.

"And now is a chance you can finally be free from her. And you don’t have to be the one to do it. So when Mulan comes to talk to you…tell her everything." Aurora said in a commanding tone. Regina looked confused before smiling.

"You came all this way to…convince me to help Mulan?"

"I…I…uh…" Aurora paused as she hadn’t thought of it like that. "Just tell Mulan everything you know. She can do it." Aurora finished distractedly.

"You should know I already agreed to meet with Mulan. I was planning to help in whatever way I could."

"Good…that’s…Just….be honest. And tell her everything." Aurora said as her voice betrayed her sudden uncertainty.

"Emma was right." Regina said more to herself. But when Aurora shot her a questioning look she continued.

"You have nothing to worry about. Mulan can take care of herself. But I will do my best to help. After all, I am the mayor. Besides, we both know that Storybrooke will be a safer normal town sooner rather than later." Aurora looked confused and was about deny the mayor’s claim.

"Aurora? What are you doing here?" Emma said walking into the kitchen surprising Aurora who hadn’t heard the front door open.

"I… I just came to drop off a get well soon gift." Aurora said snapping out her shock as Emma walked over to give Regina a quick peck on the lips. "I hope you like it, Regina. I’m sure you’ll both have a lot of fun. Goodnight."

"What will we love?" Emma asked looking confused and a little nervous. Regina chuckled before responding.

"We will. Goodnight Aurora. Don’t worry Mulan is a very capable detective. Everything will work itself out. You’ll see." Regina said with a smile. 

"Bye."Aurora said after an extended moment of standing in the doorway, unsure of what to make of Regina’s final words.

_ (Flashback) _

_ "Alright, you’re not telling me something." Ruby said as she placed an order of fries in front of Aurora. "For someone about to celebrate her one year anniversary of her longest relationship ever, you look pretty upset." _

_ Aurora ran her hand through her hair silently wishing she and Ruby weren’t such good friends. _

_ "I’m not upset….it’s not the right word…I…I’m….I’m worried." Aurora said as Ruby started putting chairs on tables so she could start mopping. _

_ "Is it because of the secret you’re keeping from her? The really big, ginormous secret you have somehow managed to keep from her?" Ruby asked sincerely. _

_ "No, and I don’t want to have that conversation again." Aurora replied angrily as she hadn’t been worrying about that and didn’t want to until she absolutely had to. _

_ "Sorry. I just say it because I care Aurora." Ruby said honestly."But if that’s not it, then what’s troubling you?" _

_ "I…I love Mulan. Like really love her. A lot." Aurora stated. _

_ "Okay…I know that." Ruby said softly. After an extended silence, Ruby decided to give her friend a way out of the conversation. _

_ "Aurora, I don’t want to pry. If you really don’t want to talk about it, say the word and I’ll continue saying how much of an ass Belle’s dad is…This isn’t still about the sex thing is it?" Ruby said hoping Aurora would confide in her. _

_ Aurora shook her head and exhaled loudly before mumbling something Ruby couldn’t make out. She paused in the process of lifting the last chair off the floor. _

_ "What?" Ruby asked before putting the final chair on the table before moving to sit next to Aurora at the counter. _

_ "I lied." Aurora said staring at the counter. When Ruby didn’t response, Aurora made eye contact to see Ruby looked confused. "Remember when I said Mulan finally said it?" _

_ "It?……When she said it?….You mean when she said I love you?" Ruby asked wide eyed in shock. "What? Why on earth would you lie to me about that?" Ruby asked thoroughly confused. _

_ "I…she did say it. Technically, she did tell me that she loves me….she’s said it" Aurora paused to think for a moment before finishing. "six…no eight times. She’s told me on eight separate occasions." _

_ "Which naturally brings me to my next question. What on earth do you mean she hasn’t technically said it then? Do explain. Because I remember rather vividly when she first said it because you my friend were ecstatic. And relieved because you were so worried because it took so damn long." _

_ "She did say it…multiple times…she’s just…sort of…thought I was asleep." Aurora said as quickly as she could hoping to Ruby didn’t hear it. Ruby stared at her in shock not knowing what to say as Aurora rested her elbows on the counter and placed her face in her hands. _

_ "Why hasn’t she said it to me? When I’m awake. There has to be a reason she’s so scared to say it to me." Aurora said more to herself, but Ruby overheard anyway. _

_ "Aurora, you do realize what that means right?" Ruby asked gently and Aurora turned her head and shot Ruby a questioning look. "She means it. If Mulan is only saying it when she thinks you’re sleeping, she truly means it. It means, she’s not just saying it because you want to hear it." _

_ "I guess I never thought of that." Aurora said feeling slightly better. _

_ "And I think we both know why she’s scared to say it." Ruby said as gently as she could. Aurora’s eyes widened and she rushed to defend herself. _

_ "But she has to know I would never…I would never even consider…Just thinking of hurting her…I would never…especially like that. I love her too much to even think of cheating on her. She has to know that." Aurora said starting to get more upset as she thought of it. "I love her. She has to know that. I tell her all the time. And I try to show it. I know actions mean so much to her. I try so much to—" _

_ "Aurora sweetie. Don’t do this to yourself. We both know it has nothing to do with you and how you act and treat her…It’s…Mulan has been through a lot of painful shit. That’s it. She’s hesitant. She’s scared of getting hurt again. But I guarantee you she knows." Ruby said in a gentle, but firm manner. _

_ "I’m telling you if she says it when she thinks your sleeping, she means it. She’s scared to say it, but just give her time, Aurora." Ruby repeated  and Aurora nodded and smiled after a couple minutes of comfortable silence had passed. _

_ "You’re right. What matters is her feelings. And I know why…so yeah. Your right. We’ll be fine. I love her. She loves me. At the end of the day that’s all that matters, right?" _

_ "Exactly. Now are you going to help me clean or are you just going to sit and eat all the fries?" Ruby said after Aurora leaned over to give her a hug. _

_ "Both." Aurora said with a smile and a shrug. _

_ "And thank you Ruby. I should have told you a long time ago. You’ve always been good at making me feel better." _

_ "Hey, that’s what friends are for, right?" _

_ "Right." Aurora said as she got up from the stool to help Ruby clean. She welcomed the distraction as Ruby started ranting about Belle’s father and talking excitedly about going to the town fair with Belle. _

_ As the night continued, her mind would wander back to her secret that she had avoided for obvious reasons. She would briefly consider telling Mula before reminding herself why she had avoided the topic. After all, Aurora had enough on her plate and didn’t want to worry about her father interfering in her life at the moment. _

_ (End Flashback) _

Mulan stood outside the house wondering why she was there. She stared and looked at the box she was carrying in her hand, unsure of what she wanted to say. She just knew what she wanted to do. Taking a deep breath, Mulan walked up to the door and used her cane to knock  loudly.

"Mulan, what can I do for you?" Philip asked with a questioning smile when he opened the door.

"Hi Philip. Is Aurora home?"

"No, I’m afraid she’s still at work. She should be home soon though. Would you like to come in?"

"No thanks. Just…just give her this for me." Mulan said holding up the box before tossing it to Philip who juggled it a couple times before catching it properly.

"A gift? What for?"

"It’s not a gift." Mulan said after a moment. "I mean it was, but…I’m just returning something she left with me."

"Okay." Philip said with a confused nod. "Is there a message to go with this not a gift?"

"Tell Aurora it’s a reminder….She’ll understand." Mulan continued at Philip’s confused look. "Have a good evening Philip." Mulan finished as she started walking away.

As Philip was watching Mulan walk away, Aurora pulled into the driveway and she felt her heart sink as she watched Mulan use her cane, the painful reminder of everything they had been through. Once the moment passed, she wondered why Mulan was there. Angrily she walked to the front door and looked at Philip who was standing at the door looking confused.

"What was Mulan doing here? Did you ask to meet with her? I thought I made it perfectly clear that no one else was to—"

"She came to give you this." Philip said calmly holding up the small ring box Mulan had left with him. Aurora visibly deflated before carefully taking the box and walking into the house. She put down her bag by the door before speaking.

"Sorry Philip. I shouldn’t have snapped like that. This whole situation has got me all wound up."

"I understand."

"Any idea what this is?" Aurora asked looking at the box warily.

"She said she was returning what was once yours. And that it’s a reminder."

"Of what?"

"She didn’t say."

Aurora left the box in her study when she put away her work bag. She was unsure of what to made of Mulan’s unplanned visit and gift which made her nervous. Aurora left the box on her desk without opening it before dinner. She enjoyed a nice dinner with Philip which was unusually relaxing as for the first time in awhile they did not have much work to discuss.

Aurora confirmed that she had spoken to Regina prior to her meeting with Mulan, which was hopefully productive. Other than that, the relaxing tone of the meal had reminded Aurora of why she usually enjoyed Philip’s company.

After dinner, Philip cleaned the dishes as Aurora took a glass of wine to her study where she sat at her desk staring at the box as if it would answer her questions without her having to physically open it herself. After finishing her glass, Aurora finally surrendered and opened the box.

Aurora carefully lifted the familiar ring out of the box and wondered what on earth this ring was supposed to be a ‘reminder’ of. She held it in her hand as she leaned back in her chair staring at the ring as she held it up to the light as if some secret message might be revealed.

"Mulan, what are you playing at?" Aurora whispered as she turned the anniversary ring in her hands. She stared at the ring awhile longer before heading to bed for uneasy sleep as she recalled the disaster that had been their one year anniversary.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments? Kudos? Anything would be appreciated. Some support? Encouragement? Anyway thanks for reading.
> 
> Originally posted on my tumblr 4/19/13


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sleeping Warrior AU. Aurora is the most powerful mob boss in Storybrooke. Her ex-wife, Mulan, is an experienced detective, who has returned to town to help take down organized crime.

Aurora looked through the diner window and stared at Mulan who was focused on a file in front of her. She hadn’t been sleeping well thinking that the intended message Mulan wanted to send wasn’t a good one. Either way, she still had no clue what the message could be.

Aurora took a deep breath before entering the diner and walking determinedly to Mulan’s booth before stiffly sliding in across.

"Good…." Mulan said pausing to look at her watch, but not at Aurora. "Good afternoon, Aurora. I was wondering when you wanted to meet."

When Aurora failed to reply, Mulan looked up to see Aurora staring at her intently as if trying to read her mind.

"It’s not safe to be reading those out in the open." Aurora said stiffly pointing at the files.

"Why not? Everyone in town knows why I’m here. It’s not exactly easy to keep a secret in a small town." Mulan replied simply leaning back in her seat.

"That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be safe about it. There’s no need to do something stupid." Aurora said sternly.

"If you say so." Mulan replied smirking before tilting her head and widening her smile as a thought occurred to her. "But that’s not why you’re upset."

"I’m not upset. This is about business. Nothing personal. I have no reason to be upset." Aurora said fooling no one. "But we shouldn’t discuss business here."

"Then, where do you suggest we go? Sheriff station? The Castle? Your house?" Mulan questioned knowing that none of those locations were an option. They sat in an uncomfortable silence as Mulan tried to think of where to relocate for their conversation. And Aurora’s thoughts wandered back to the ring and the topic she wasn’t sure she wanted to discuss.

_ (Flashback) _

_ "What?" Aurora asks when she feels Mulan staring at her. _

_ "Nothing." Mulan says with a smile that Aurora is unable to decipher. "Happy anniversary." _

_ "You already said that." Aurora said wearing a confused expression. _

_ "I know…I…it’s just a great day isn’t it?" Mulan said with an awkward smile. _

_ "It is." Aurora replied with a smile of her own as she finished eating. They got up from the picnic tables to throw away their trash. _

_ "What do you want to do first?" Aurora asked. _

_ "Whatever you want." Mulan replied with a shrug. "I don’t know which activities are the fun ones. Which one is your favorite?" _

_ Aurora thought about it as they slowly started walking aimlessly. _

_ "I know just the thing." Aurora said with a smile as Mulan wrapped an arm around her shoulder. _

_ "Aurora, we already ate." Mulan said confused as they walked through the picnic tables. _

_ "I know." Aurora replied spinning out of Mulans arms and grabbing her hand leading her reluctant girlfriend onto the small dance floor. _

_ "Oh…Aurora, I don—" Mulan stuttered unsure of herself. But Aurora stopped her rambling by placing a finger on her lips before leaning in for a quick peck and placing Mulan’s hands around her waist. _

_ "Just follow my lead." Aurora said barely above a whisper as they started dancing to the calm music. _

_ "You know, I’ve always dreamed of dancing with someone at the town fair. Under the stars. Soft music playing. It’s all so romantic." Aurora said somewhat dreamily as she rested her head on Mulan’s shoulder. _

_ Mulan hummed in agreement and Aurora thought she could feel Mulan smiling as she leaned her head to rest on top of her own. _

_ "Aurora." Mulan whispered after they had danced through a couple songs. _

_ "Yes Mulan." Aurora replied.  _

_ "Mulan?" Aurora repeated when she felt Mulan tighten her hold slightly.  _

_ "I love you." Mulan said very quietly as if she were revealing a secret. _

_ "Really?" Aurora asked wearing a large smile careful not to move from her position. _

_ "I love you." Mulan repeated sincerely in a somewhat shaky voice as they continued dancing. _

_ "Thank you for saying it." Aurora whispered. "I love you, Mulan." Aurora continued trying to keep her happiness from exploding out of her.  _

_ As they continued dancing, Aurora wore a gigantic smile and felt as if nothing could ruin her night. Mulan wore a relieved expression as if a huge burden had been lifted and a small smile graced her lips, until she felt Aurora tense and pull away. _

_ Mulan released Aurora wearing an expression mixed with worry and confusion. Her question was cut off when she felt Aurora give her a quick peck on the lips. _

_ "I’ll be right back." Aurora said distractedly before leaning in for a second quick kiss and walking away quickly leaving her confused girlfriend behind. _

_ Mulan watched Aurora walk away until she disappeared behind some of the booths. While she was thoroughly confused by her sudden departure, Mulan sat on a bench and patiently waited Aurora’s return. _

_ "Looking for someone, Princess?" Aurora stopped and turned in surprise when she heard her father’s voice. _

_ "Hi dad." Aurora replied leaning in for a hug, before turning to her mom and doing the same. "What are you guys doing here?" _

_ "That’s a silly question sweetie. You know we run the town fair every year. You used to love joining us." Her mother replied. _

_ "Is that your friend you talked about all summer?" He father asked with a smile , but in a tone more stern than Aurora thought was necessary. _

_ ”Yeah,” Aurora replied with uncertainty. “But please no overprotective fathering. At least not now. I’m not rea—” _

_ "Don’t worry sweetie. We’ll do our best to avoid you two." Her mother cut her off in an understanding voice. "Isn’t that right honey?"  _

_ Aurora looked back and forth between her parents trying to understand their unspoken conversation. _

_ "Yes," Her father finally responded turning to Aurora with a forced smile. "We will be sure to give you your space, Princess. Though, I don’t know why you would bring her here if yo-" _

_ ‘“Have a great night, Aurora.” Aurora’s mother interrupted in an unusual tone. _

_ "Have fun Princess. You should get back. I’m sure Mulan will be wondering where you went." Her father said before Aurora turned to walk away. She made it half way back before pausing to wonder how he knew Mulan by name. _

_ Aurora shook her head and tried to ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach as she looked for Mulan, who was sitting on a bench her knee bouncing with nerves. After making eye contact, Mulan got up from the bench and walked over to Aurora giving her a quick kiss. _

_ "I was worried you wouldn’t come back." Mulan blurted out after an extended silence. Aurora felt her stomach twist at the thought. _

_ "Oh, sorry. I had to…I saw…." Aurora took a deep breath as she decided to change the subject.  "Want to see my favorite booth?" _

_ "I can’t wait." Mulan said with a smile not wanting to question her unusual behavior. "I love you." She whispered into Aurora’s ear before kissing her head as she placed her arm around Aurora, who smiled widely upon hearing the words. _

_ (End Flashback) _

Aurora is snapped out of her thoughts when she hears Mulan putting papers away. 

"Well, if you don’t want to talk here, then I should pack up." Mulan replies to her confused expression.

"Though, we still don’t know where to go." Mulan said as she picked up her cane.

"What are you doing?" Mulan questions when Aurora picks up her bag. "I can carry my own bag you know."

"I know" Aurora replied simply with a smile. Mulan stood for a moment confused before following Aurora who held the door open for her. They  stood right outside the diner for a moment before Aurora spoke.

"I know just the place. I just have to go home and get the keys." She finished in a questioning tone.

"I’ll come with you." Mulan replied with a shrug.

"Ummm….okay." Aurora said in a confused tone. They walk in silence for about a block before Aurora blurts out the question that had been plaguing her for days.

"Why on earth did you give me that ring back?"

"Isn’t it obvious?" Mulan asked genuinely confused.

"Don’t answer a question with a question." Aurora said frustrated. 

"Like I told Philip…he did tell you, right?….It’s a reminder."

"A reminder of our terrible first anniversary?" Aurora asked incredulously. Mulan chuckled in response.

"Maybe." Mulan replied vaguely. She glanced up to see a pleading look from Aurora. "It’s a reminder…a reminder of something…good. I’m not going to spell it out for you. I think…I hope…I know that it won’t make sense unless you figure it out on your own." Mulan continued with certainty. Aurora slowed down thoroughly confused and blinked slowly as Mulan’s back

"I thought it was obvious." Mulan mumbled to herself as Aurora walked quickly to catch up.

"So…it’s supposed to be a…happy reminder?" Aurora asked after an extended silence. Mulan chuckled at Aurora’s hopeful tone.

"Yes," Mulan said with nod. "It’s definitely a happy reminder."

"And your really not going to tell me what it’s a reminder of?"

"Nope." Mulan replied with a knowing grin. 

They continued walking as Aurora realized that Mulan wouldn’t give her an answer and Mulan wondered where they were heading. Once they arrived at Aurora’s house, Mulan waited outside as Aurora quickly ran inside before leading them to their destination.

_ (Flashback) _

_ "What next?" Mulan asked excitedly hold a small red dragon stuffed animal. While Aurora had tried to hide her feelings, Mulan couldn’t help but notice that she seemed distracted and tense.  _

_ "Geez…you want to play another game? I don’t know what’s left…" Aurora replied exasperated sporting a plastic tiara on her head."Ummmm….Okay, how about…slingshot?" Aurora said pointing in a general direction. _

_ "Okay." Mulan replied a spring in her step practically dragging Aurora to the next booth. "It can be the last one." She whispered to Aurora who smiled broadly in response. _

_ "Thank goodness." Aurora said in relief before shooting a sheepishly apologetic look at Mulan who smiled in response. _

_ "No worries. But you have to admit these games are fun." Mulan said happily. _

_ "I suppose…but I have been playing these games for as long as I can remember." Aurora replied distractedly as she was looking in another direction. _

_ "What’s wrong?" _

_ "Nothing." Aurora said turning back to Mulan with a smile. She stopped Mulan’s hand from taking out her money. "This one’s on me." _

_ "Thank you." Mulan said kissing Aurora on the cheek and wearing a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. However, Aurora was too preoccupied by her father’s presence to notice. _

_ "I’ll be right back." Aurora said quickly before walking away not waiting for a reply. _

_ "Love you." Mulan whispered in response watching her leave again wearing an expression of worry and confusion before focusing all her energy on the game. After playing a few rounds, Mulan took her tickets to the rewards booth and exchanged them for a small item she placed in her pocket. _

_ Mulan wandered around looking for Aurora and saw her having an intense conversation with someone who she recognized as Aurora’s father. Deciding it was best not to interrupt, Mulan walked slowly through the fair, taking the long way back to the slingshot booth. Once she arrived, she saw Aurora, who was standing there with her back turned. _

_ "There you are." Aurora heard from behind her causing her to jump slightly. _

_ "Mulan, you scared me." Aurora replied leaning forward to kiss Mulan on the lips. _

_ "Sorry. I didn’t mean to. I waited for awhile after…what’s wrong?" Mulan asked softly. _

_ "I…nothing." Aurora said. "I mean, I’m tired. Ready to go?" _

_ "Yeah." Mulan said offering her arm which Aurora gladly accepted. _

_ "You sure everything’s alright?" Mulan asked after an extended silence. "You’ve been tense all night." _

_ Aurora didn’t know how to respond. She didn’t think her father’s presence had affected her that much, but apparently she hadn’t hidden her feelings very well. _

_ "Is it something I did? Or said?" Mulan asked saying the final words very quietly. _

_ "What? NO." Aurora said a little louder than she had intended as she stopped walking. "You didn’t do anything. No. I’m fine. Just tired. I swear." Aurora said firmly before leaning in to give Mulan a deep kiss. _

_ "Okay." Mulan said after the kiss ended, though she didn’t look entirely convinced. _

_ "I have a surprise for you." Aurora whispered as seductively as she could through her mixed emotions. Mulan noticed the sudden change in tone. While part of her wanted to know what had been bothering Aurora, she decided to let it slide for the time being. After all, the last thing she wanted was to end their anniversary in a fight. _

_ (End Flashback) _

"Seriously?" Mulan asked with a confused look on her face turning her head to see Aurora looking away.

"Is it really that surprising?" Aurora asked in a small voice stepping forward to unlock the door.

"I guess…I guess I shouldn’t be that surprised." Mulan said slowly trying to keep her emotions in check.

"When? How?…Why?….I never thought Gold would let go of this building." Mulan trailed off when Aurora didn’t cut her off at some point. But Aurora was enjoying Mulan’s reaction to stop her.

"Well, shortly after you left…..Around that time, Mr. Gold decided to sell off his residential buildings. And my father had given me a budget to do with what I pleased as long as it was in the best interest of the business. So I bought it. Father was a little upset saying that I overpaid for it. But when I held firm, he seemed happy that I stood by my actions." Aurora explained speaking slowly as she opened the door to the basement.

They both moved in as Aurora worked to turn the lights on. When Mulan moved to help, Aurora simply held her arm out and Mulan complied with the unspoken command.

"But….why?" Mulan asked still processing the information.

"Why what?" Aurora said as she turned the electricity on and turned to face Mulan. They held eye contact and somehow they were both genuinely confused. 

"This building is a piece of crap." Mulan said bluntly. Aurora managed to suppress a laugh.

"Yes, well sentimental value." Aurora explained smiling with a shrug as they walked towards the stairs.

"Right. Why didn’t I think of that." Mulan muttered to herself sarcastically as she followed Aurora, who overheard her and simply smiled without replying.

"And…why is there no one here now?" Mulan asked once they passed the second floor.

"Renovations." Aurora replied plainly, sounding out of breath.

"It’s not condemned, is it?" Mulan asked half joking.

"No, it reached a point where it wasn’t worth the cost of temporary repairs to keep it open. Plus, I haven’t been trying very hard to speed up the renovations.” Aurora said between gasping breaths feeling thankful that they had finally reached the top floor.

"Here we are." Aurora said trying to catch her breath as she opened the door and motioned for Mulan to enter.

"Here we are." Mulan repeated quietly as she entered the familiar apartment taking a quick look around before turning to face Aurora. "Now what?"

Aurora raised her eyebrows with a questioning look, before replying in a businesslike manner.

"We can work out of here. No one will overhear our plans and meeting here neither of us can be accused of doing anything wrong. It’s safer for both of us. And I guess I’ll make you a copy of the keys so you can come here to work whenever you want. So this can be our home base of sorts." Aurora finished awkwardly.

"Right." Mulan replied taking her bag from Aurora before walking over to the table. "Let’s get down to business."

_ (Flashback) _

_ "Come in." Aurora says somewhere between a command and a question. Mulan hesitantly nods in response. Upon entering, Aurora starts kissing Mulan immediately pushing her back against the door. _

_ Surprised by the sudden action, Mulan hesitates before returning the kiss before Aurora deepens the kiss further wrapping her arms around Mulan’s neck bringing their bodies closer together.  _

_ "Happy anniversary." Aurora murmurs as she pulls back and sees Mulan slowly opening her eyes and smiling. _

_ "Happy anniversary….I love you." Mulan says again barely above a whisper. "Sorry it to—" _

_ Mulan was cut off when Aurora started kissing her again. _

_ "I understand." Aurora whispers before backing away slowly pulling Mulan by the hand and pushing her back so that Mulan falls onto the bed.  _

_ "Like I said. I have a surprise for you." Aurora answers the unspoken question as she slowly pulls off her shirt. Mulan stared at her wide-eyed understanding Aurora’s actions. _

_ "Are you sure?" Mulan asked gently as Aurora moved closer, placing on leg on either side of Mulan. _

_ "Positive." Aurora replied before leaning forward to kiss Mulan. _

_ "Don’t you think she deserves the truth before she falls in too deep?" Her father’s words were ringing in her ears. Aurora, trying to push the words from her mind, deepens the kiss pushing Mulan onto her back. _

_ "She’s a good person. Don’t drag her down with you." Her father had said. Trying to ignore the conversation replying in her mind, Aurora continued kissing Mulan and removed her shirt before they moved further up on her bed. _

_ Aurora shuddered as she felt Mulans hands on her back and let out a hum of contentment as she moved her own hands to explore Mulan’s torso before moving to take off Mulans jeans tossing them aside as she straddled Mulans hips looking down at her smiling. _

_ "You’re amazing. You know that?" Mulan whispered reaching up to tuck a strand of hair behind Aurora’s ear. _

_ "I love you." Mulan continued as she surged upward to kiss Aurora, who returned the kiss as she pushed Mulan back down on her back. They continued kissing and Aurora felt Mulan’s hands roaming up and down her back. _

_ "Mulan is a good person. From a good family. Military family, right? She deserves to be with someone from the same world. Not from our world. Or at least, she should be with someone who will be honest with her. She deserves that much from you, doesn’t she?" His words echoed in her ears. _

_ "Mulan is a good person…not from our world….drag her down…she deserves that much.” _

_ "I’m sorry…I…I…you deserve…I’m sorry. I just…I can’t." Aurora says with tears in her eyes as she pulls back. Mulan still dazed from everything that had happened sat up unsure of what to do. _

_ "Can’t? Do? What? Aurora we don’t have to." Mulan stuttered trying to catch her breath as she watched Aurora quickly grab her shirt and shoes.  _

_ "I’m sorry. I love you. I do…but I…I’m sorry….I…I can’t." Aurora said holding back tears before running out the door once she finished getting dressed. _

_ Mulan sat on Aurora’s bed and stared at the door for about a minute before registering that Aurora had just run out in the middle of the night by herself in a corrupt town. Mulan moved frantically trying to get her clothing back on before realizing that there was no way she could catch Aurora. She stared out the window as she tried to figure out what the hell just happened. _

_ (End Flashback) _

Mulan and Aurora made significant progress as they discussed the information Aurora had provided about Cora and Mulan filled in the gaps from Aurora’s files. They confirmed the shared information and Aurora agreed to find ways to show the other information was valid and also usable to bring down Cora’s empire.

"So I’ll talk to the D.A. about how much I need to go to trial to figure out if we have enough to make some arrests." Mulan said as they started packing up.

"And I’ll work on getting more hard evidence and reliable and consistent witnesses." Aurora continued.

"And…no threats." Mulan said sternly.

"No threats…promises of safety and protection. And promises are the root of my business." Aurora replied making eye contact. "And for the record, I don’t like making threats. I almost never do."

"Alright." Mulan replied slowly with a nod. "And we’ll meet up again after the weekend and go from there."

"Sounds good to me." Aurora replied as they started putting the files away as Mulan picked up her cane. “Do you have dinner plans?”

"Not tonight." Mulan replied warily. "Why?"

"Never mind." Aurora said after an extended silence realizing that it was probably a bad idea for them to go out together.

"Then why did you ask?" Mulan asked as she picked up her bag.

"Just trying to make conversation." Aurora said with a shrug. They walked down the stairs in silence. Mulan opened the front door of the building and held it open for Aurora who nodded in thanks and they continued walking down the street in an unfamiliar silence.

"How’s Philip?" Mulan asked awkwardly hoping to get a conversation going.

"He’s good, but we’ve been arguing a lot lately. So I don’t know if his upcoming trip is something good or not." Aurora replied absentmindedly.

"What were you arguing about?" Mulan asked cautiously, not entirely sure she wanted to hear about their relationship.

"A lot of different things. Mostly related to work, but it’s mostly my fault. I’ve been distra—" Aurora stopped herself mid-sentence as she realized who she was talking to. She cleared her throat before continuing awkwardly. "Sometimes work gets in the way of our personal lives."

"That’s normal." Mulan replied uncomfortably. "I’m sure you guys will figure something out."

"I suppose we don’t have much of a choice." Aurora replied suddenly realizing how awkward the topic was. "Why do you ask?" She asked out partially out of genuine curiosity and partially to change the topic.

"Trying to make conversation." Mulan replied. They continued walking in a more comfortable silence until they reached Granny’s Inn.

"So…uh…I guess I’ll see you Monday." Aurora said awkwardly breaking the silence. "Have a good weekend."

"Yeah, you too." Mulan replied with a smile, stopping mid-turn to continue. "Oh, and Aurora."

"Yeah?" Aurora replied hopefully.

"The ring."

"What about it?"

"Stop focusing on why I gave it to you…The reminder…it’s…Think about when I gave it to you." Mulan said before walking up the path to the inn.

Still wearing a confused expression, Aurora watched Mulan walk away. She shook her head as she started walking home and wondered less about the ring and more about whether or not Mulan wanted to fix their relationship.

_ (Flashback) _

_ Aurora had no idea how long she sat on the bench hugging her knees  to her chest as she stared out into the harbor. She knew that her phone had had finally stopped ringing, whether it was because her phone died or if it was because Mulan had stopped trying to contact her she wasn’t sure. _

_ Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ruby sit on the other end of the bench. Ruby knew that this was a place Aurora liked to come to think. Partially because she had found it when she first moved in and partially because it was the first time she had ever seen Mulan, even if at the time she never thought anything would come of it. _

_ "You can say it." Aurora said after a lengthy silence still looking forward. _

_ "Say what?" Ruby replied softly looking at the side of Aurora’s head. _

_ "You were right. You can say it. Say ‘I told you so’" Aurora said in a tiny voice. "I should have told her. I should have told her a long time ago." Aurora continued as her voice cracked. _

_ "Oh, sweetie I didn’t want to be right." Ruby said as she moved closer to Aurora to put an arm around her. Aurora started sobbing again and Ruby rubbed her back and stayed with her as she tried to calm herself down. _

_ "How…how did you know I was here?" Aurora questioned as she rubbed her eyes. _

_ "Mulan called me." Ruby replied. Aurora turned her head quickly with a look somewhere between horrified and embarrassed. _

_ "She didn’t tell me exactly what happened." Ruby responding to Aurora’s expression. "But she was worried about you. You ran out in the middle of the night and didn’t respond to any of her calls or texts. She may not know the truth, Aurora. But she knows Storybrooke can be dangerous. She wanted to make sure you were alright." _

_ "She’s so good. Even after….Mulan didn’t deserve that." Aurora said rubbing her eyes some more. "I don’t deserve her." _

_ "Don’t say that. I don’t believe that. And neither does Mulan." _

_ "That’s because she doesn’t know the truth about…my father….about me." Aurora replied in a defeated tone. _

_ "You don’t believe that…I think….even if she did…I don’t think it would change how she feels about you." _

_ "You don’t know that." _

_ "I do." Ruby replied forcefully.  _

_ "It’s not like I was never going to tell her." Aurora whispered defensively as she felt another wave of tears come to the surface. Ruby knew that Aurora was telling the truth and didn’t want to upset her further so she remained silent. They sat in a comfortable silence. When Aurora shivered from a chill Ruby suggested they go home which Aurora silently agreed to. _

_ "Do you want me to stay?" Ruby asked once they reached Aurora’s dorm room. _

_ "No…thanks." Aurora replied.  _

_ "Alright, well you know where to find me if you need anything." Ruby said with a hug and a small smile. "Everything will be fine. It’ll all work out in the end." _

_ "Goodnight." Aurora said with an uncertain smile. She entered her room and slumped onto her bed wondering how the night had gone so wrong. As she got up to change, Aurora saw something on her dresser. _

_ She walked over slowly and picked up the rose. Aurora sighed as she wondered how Mulan found the time or energy to go get a flower before turning to the note. _

_ 'Dear Aurora, _

_ I’m sorry about upsetting you tonight. I hope you _

_ Please don’t feel pressured into anything you’re not ready for. I can wait. _

_ I’m not going anywhere. I promise. I love you. _

_ Mulan’ _

_ Aurora sat down on her bed holding the note as she felt tears coming to the surface again. _

_ "Damnit Mulan. You are too good for me." She grumbled to herself falling back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling until she fell asleep. _

_ (End Flashback) _

"Aurora? Is that you?" Philips voice rang through the house when Aurora entered.

"No Philip. It’s a loud terrible burglar who has a key.” Aurora replied dryly as she heard his footsteps approach. “What is it?” She asked when she noticed Philip’s less than pleased expression.

"We’ve got a problem."

"Would you like to explain or are you just going to be vague?" Aurora questioned in a frustrated voice as they both walked back to the study.

"It’s about Mulan." Philip said still standing as Aurora collapsed onto her chair.

"I thought we discussed this." Aurora replied firmly. "I’m working on it. Mulan is my business. I’ll take care of it."

"Well, you let your emotions cloud your judgment, so I did what you should have done. Here’s the file of Mulan’s work in the city." Philip replied as he dropped a file onto the desk.

"And why would you do that?"

"Because that’s what you should have done. If anyone else had been brought in to bring us down, you would have done so."

"What difference does it make? We already know she was key in successfully taking down two different families."

"Rumors are spreading Aurora. Dangerous rumors. Some of them are true and some are not." Philip replied in a firm but frustrated tone.

"But either way, it’s very dangerous for all of us if we don’t figure out how to spin this the right way. And since you have made it VERY clear that everything about the Mulan situation is to be handled by you alone, then YOU need to be the one to stop all the rumors. So maybe you should have all the details.” Philip said harshly as he started walking out the door. “Dinner should be ready soon.”

On some level, Aurora knew Philip was right, but she was too preoccupied by her own conflicting feelings about Mulan to worry about it, yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on my tumblr 6/6/2013


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sleeping Warrior AU. Aurora is the most powerful mob boss in Storybrooke. Her ex-wife, Mulan, is an experienced detective, who has returned to town to help take down organized crime.

As it turns out the former prosecutor had been indicted on charges of corruption and Emma wasn’t sure who the replacement was. She had been sending her cases to the next town over, but knew they wouldn’t accept any of the organized crime cases. For that reason, Mulan found herself sitting in the mayor’s office early on Monday morning.

"You’re sure it won’t be a conflict of interest?" Mulan asked with uncertainty as she sat in a seat across from Regina, after being informed that Regina would be taking on the role of prosecutor for the time being.

"Yes, I assure you Mulan I can act professionally with regards to my mother." Regina said, a weird tone in her voice.

"Now, shall we discuss what you have discovered thus far?" She continued eager to change the subject.

"Okay." Mulan said slowly as she quickly weighed the pros and cons of the situation before deciding that there was little she could do about it. 

Without showing Regina the files Aurora had provided, Mulan and Regina discussed the information that was already in the sheriff station files. Regina hesitantly agreed to allow Mulan to withhold the files Aurora had provided for as long as possible for security purposes.

Overall, Regina agreed with Mulan’s initial assessment that Aurora needed to provide more hard evidence before they could attempt to bring down the “Queen of Hearts,” a moniker Cora MIlls had acquired due to her inclination of stabbing people in the heart.

Before leaving, Mulan and Regina agreed that once the information was collected, they needed to plan how to go about arresting individuals to ensure that no one filled the gap once Cora was gone.

"By the way, Emma insists that you join us this weekend. Something about you not going out enough." Regina said as they both rose from their seats.

"I go out plenty. I’ve managed to reconnect with Ruby and Belle since my return. And I see Emma often." Mulan replied defensively.

"Well, Emma insists. I thought you should know that she won’t take no for an answer." Regina said as she opened the door.

"Thanks for the heads up." Mulan replied with a smile. The rest of her reply died in her throat when her eyes landed on Aurora who was patiently sitting outside the mayor’s office.

"I’ll see you later, Mulan." Regina said before turning to Aurora. "I’ll be right with you. Do you mind waiting another couple minutes, dear?"

Aurora nodded silently before Regina retreated back into her office to check in with the sheriff.

"Hi." Aurora said in a small voice standing.

"Hi." 

"We’re going over the final plans for the town fair this weekend." Aurora answered Mulan’s unspoken question. She knew Mulan had met with Regina for work reasons, but decided not to ask how it went.

"How are you?" Mulan asked after nodding in understanding.

"Good. Philip and I stayed in. I think we’ve stopped arguing for the time being." Aurora said, a lie Mulan could see a mile away. "You?"

"Also good." Mulan replied a little hurt by the lie, but she knew it wasn’t something she had a right to question. "I saw Ruby for lunch. Seems we always find something to chat about."

"Eight years of stories will do that. But I’m glad you guys are getting along… How is Ruby?"

"She’s doing well. I promised not to tell anyone…But she’s been spending more time with Belle these days." Mulan continued whispering the last part.

"That’s good." Aurora responded barely hiding her own feelings of guilt regarding their predicament.

"She doesn’t blame you, you know." Mulan said after an extended silence. 

"Aurora? Are you ready to meet now?" Regina’s voice interrupted their conversation as she stuck her head out of her office.

"Yeah." Aurora replied. "I’ll see you tomorrow?"

"Yup, have a good day." Mulan responded with a hopeful smile.

_ (Flashback) _

_ Aurora turned her head when she felt someone move to stand next to her. She saw her friend, Ruby returned her gaze with a raised eyebrow. _

_ "What?" Aurora asked once it was clear Ruby wouldn’t speak first. _

_ "You know what." Ruby replied in an annoyed voice staring into Aurora’s eyes. "Just talk to her." _

_ "I wouldn’t even know what to say." _

_ "And staring at her like some stalker accomplishes nothing." _

_ Aurora exhaled loudly as she silently agreed with Ruby, but her insecurities returned every time she contemplated the situation. _

_ "But talking to her isn’t exactly easy. What would I even say? Sorry I ran out on you? Sorry I have this secret I’ve been keeping and I still can’t tell you? Sorry for ignoring you for a month? I can’t even bring myself to talk to her." Aurora rambled as she looked over to where Mulan was studying, sitting under a tree with some of her classmates. _

_ "Good point." Ruby replied. "But you guys could talk for hours about nothing. You could just try talking about any one of the millions of topics you guys normally talk about." _

_ "But that’s just avoiding what needs to be said. I don’t even know if I’m ready to tell her. Or what I’d tell her. But she deserves to know the truth.” _

_ "Which she’ll never get if you don’t talk to her." _

_ "You could tell her." Aurora replied weakly after a lengthy pause. _

_ "Yeah…how about no." Ruby said dryly. _

_ "I’m not getting in the middle of this…or at least not anymore than I already am." Ruby finished pointedly. _

_ "Sorry about that." Aurora replied making eye contact. "I really am." _

_ "Then get your shit together and talk to her. She leaves next week and I don’t want to have a mopey Aurora to keep me company all summer." Ruby replied half jokingly earning a small chuckle from Aurora. _

_ "I’ll talk to her…maybe…" Aurora said as Ruby rolled her eyes. _

_ "She does deserve to know something, though." Aurora said to herself before turning to leave to joining Ruby on the way to the diner. She missed Mulan look up with a hopeful gaze only for disappoint to overtake her features upon realizing that Aurora had once again walked away without speaking to her. _

_ __________________________ _

_ Mulan sat at the counter as Ruby started kicking people out of the diner for closing. Once everyone left, Ruby started cleaning as Mulan bounced back and forth between writing and talking with Ruby. However, the distraction made the conversation rather stilted. _

_ "Mulan how many times to have to keep working on your schedule before you can hold an actual conversation?" Ruby asked as she mopped the floor. She looked up to see Mulan writing some more and poked her with the end of the mop. _

_ "Hey! What as that for?" Mulan asked looking up from the paper. _

_ "You were ignoring me." _

_ "I’m sorry." Mulan replied sincerely. "I didn’t mean to. I just want to get this right." _

_ "How much work can a schedule take?" Ruby asked as she continued mopping, despite the fact that they both knew Mulan was not working on a schedule. Mulan looked up at Ruby and exhaled loudly. _

_ "Okay…you can stop pretending to believe I’m working out my very straight forward summer schedule." Mulan said not looking up and writing some more. _

_ "And….Thanks for not pushing." Mulan finished looking up to make eye contact. _

_ "No problem." Ruby replied with a shrug. "I know you’ve been having a rough time." _

_ "That’s putting it gently." Mulan said gruffly, as they both knew Aurora had avoided Mulan for the month since their anniversary, despite Mulan’s attempts to speak with her. _

_ "I just wish she would tell me what’s wrong. What I did. Or didn’t do. Or said. Or didn’t say. I just wish I knew why." Mulan continued her frustration showing as she looked over her note again. _

_ "Hey, don’t do this to yourself again. I told you, it’s not about you." _

_ "But you won’t tell me what it is about." Mulan replied. "So how am I supposed to know what it is about, if it’s not about what I did, or said or implied. If she won’t tell me, and you won’t tell me, how am I supposed to know or find out? And make it right? If she even wants me…" _

_ "Mulan…she does want to be with you…" Ruby said weakly before trailing off. As much as she wanted to comfort her friend, Ruby was at a loss of what to say without overstepping. _

_ "Talk to Aurora." Ruby said knowing it wasn’t very helpful advice, but she didn’t know what else to say. _

_ "How the hell do you propose I do that? She’s been doing a brilliant job of avoiding me and I have to leave tomorrow." Mulan said more angrily than she had intended. _

_ "Corner her. Force her to talk to you. I thought you military people were supposed to be good at executing plans." Ruby replied trying to get a laugh out of Mulan, but received a glare instead. _

_ "You really don’t think I’ve tried every way I can think of to get her to speak to me? Which, by the way, was incredibly difficult." _

_ "Want to give me that note you’ve been working on for the past week? I’ll make sure she reads it. Not that I’ll have to force her to." Ruby asked after she finished putting away the cleaning supplies. _

_ "Thanks." Mulan replied wondering how Ruby managed to balance both of their conversations while revealing nothing. _

_ "I mean it. You’ve been a great friend. I’d ask Emma, but…" Mulan trailed off eliciting a laugh from Ruby. _

_ "Yeah I know." Ruby said thinking of how Emma had suddenly started freaking out recently about her feelings for Regina, who had waited til the last minute to mention a summer trip her mother insisted she go on. _

_ "It’s as good as it’s going to get." Mulan said with a sigh placing the note in an envelope with Aurora’s name written on it. _

_ "Thanks, for everything." Mulan said sliding the letter over to Ruby. _

_ "No problem." Ruby said with a smile as they both stood and exited the diner. _

_ “And you stay safe on whatever excursion your going on this summer. I can’t wait to hear all the adventures you don’t like talking about.” She finished with a wink before giving Mulan a hug. _

_ "So your coming back on the…" _

_ "I can’t remember the exact day, but a couple weeks before move in. I’m staying with Emma if you need me."  _

_ "Great. I’ll see you then." Ruby replied. _

_ "We’ll keep in touch." _

_ "Definitely." _

_ "Have a great summer Ruby." Mulan said as she suppressed the urge to ask Ruby to look after Aurora, knowing that Ruby would be doing that anyway. _

_ "You too, Mulan. And don’t worry, Aurora is safe with me" Ruby said with a smile before they went their separate ways.  _

_ (End Flashback) _

Mulan stood outside her former apartment building as she waited for Aurora’s arrival. She glanced at her watch to see that there was still ten minutes before they were supposed to meet. Knowing Aurora, she expected her to arrive in about fifteen minutes.

Mulan enjoyed the solitude for another seven minutes as she wondered how this meeting might go before Aurora walked up snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Wow, your early for once. Good morning." Mulan greeted with a smile.

"You have far too much energy in the morning." Aurora said tiredly as she handed over the coffee she had carried and smile at Mulan’s raised eyebrow.

"So I’ve been told." Mulan replied as Aurora opened the front door and they silently climbed the stairs. "Is it really necessary to lock the door to the building?"

"I suppose not. Since the door to the apartment is locked. Habit I guess. Better safe than sorry. You know. It’s still Storybrooke." Aurora said thinking aloud. 

Mulan nodded in agreement as they continued climbing the stairs. Aurora opened the door to the apartment and followed Mulan in.

"You decorated." Mulan said not hiding her surprise.

"If we’re going to be spending a substantial amount of time in this place, I  would like it to be aesthetically pleasing." Aurora replied defensively moving to the kitchen area and taking out a couple plates for the food she brought.

"I’m not complaining….Just making an observation." Mulan replied as she moved to the new table and started taking out her notes. Aurora placed a plate in front of Mulan, who replied with a confused expression.

"Eat. We have a lot of work to do. And I won’t have you working on a stomach full of coffee." Aurora stated knowingly. Mulan nodded in reply with a smile thinking how some things really don’t change.

They sat and ate in a comfortable silence before moving into work mode and productively moving through the remainder of the information Aurora had initially provided. Once they finished going over the information, they discussed Mulan’s meeting with Regina. 

Aurora was surprised to learn that Regina would be the one handling the case. However, she was reassured by the fact that Regina had been an excellent prosecutor.

A little past noon, Aurora pulled out a new file before her phone rang.

"Sorry…Emergency meeting." Aurora said apologetically coming back into the room. "I have to go."

"I understand." Mulan replied as she stood and stretched while Aurora repacked her bag.

"Will you be staying here?" Aurora asked once she finished packing.

"Yeah. As you said, it’s safer to work here. Also, Emma doesn’t keep the station well organized…She also hovers. Makes it hard to focus."

"It just means she cares."

"I know." Mulan said moving to open the door for Aurora. 

"What?" She asked when Aurora shot her a questioning look.

"I have to go for work…where are you going?" She asked suspiciously.

"I have to eat." Mulan replied simply looking into her eyes so she knew she was being honest, even if it was a small excuse to try to have a non-work related conversation.

"Okay." Aurora replied hesitant as they moved out of the apartment. Aurora held out the key after locking the door.

"I forgot to get copies made. You’ll need it to lock the door and get back in. I’ll get some made later this week." She stated. Mulan nodded in reply as they moved down the stairs. 

"So…your going to the fair?" Aurora asked as they walked down the stairs side by side.

"I don’t think I have much of a choice."

"Everyone has a choice."

"Tell that to Emma." Mulan replied with a smirk. Aurora chuckled. 

"You should go." Aurora said hesitantly after an extended silence as they walked out the door. "It’s good to go out and about. Have fun."

"You sound like Emma."

"Don’t insult me." Aurora said jokingly.

"Emma’s my friend." Mulan replied with a smile.

"Yeah yeah. But I’m SO much better than her." Aurora said with a wink. There was a comfortable silence until they reached the diner.

"So….I’ll see you…Thursday?"

"Thursday’s good." Mulan said as they stood outside the diner. Aurora nodded before speaking.

"Think about the fair. I think…I’d like to see you outside of work…" Aurora said before trailing off feeling embarrassed, though she wasn’t sure why.

"I’ll think about it." Mulan replied with a grin, knowing deep down that she would probably be going.

_ (Flashback) _

_ "You’re coming." _

_ "I don’t want to." _

_ "I’ll carry you if I have to. Even if your wearing your PJ’s." Ruby said frustrated. She had had enough of Aurora’s moping. Even after delivering the letter, Aurora refused to talk to Mulan who called multiple times over the summer.  _

_ Technically, Aurora sent a single message saying they could talk about it once Mulan returned, but Mulan had arrived earlier that week. And Aurora still wasn’t sure what she should say. _

_ Killian was hosting a small get together since his parents were travelling, again. But he wanted to do it before everyone returned since his last party had turned into quite an extravaganza. Knowing Mulan would be there, Ruby was determined to get Aurora to go. _

_ Unsurprisingly, Aurora was not in a festive mood. However, as much as she tried to be understanding, Ruby was sick of Aurora’s moping and wanted to go out so she wouldn’t be so grumpy during her reunion with Belle the following weekend. _

_ "Fine." Aurora resigned knowing that Ruby had put up with her all summer.  _

_ "Good." Ruby said with a smile. _

_ _______________________________ _

_ "Can we please go?" Emma asked pouting at Mulan, who was sitting on Emma’s bed watching her "pack" or pull out piles of clothing out of her dresser and "organizing" it in a manner that made Mulan inwardly cringe. Mulan rolled her eyes not wanting to go. _

_ "I don’t know why your begging. I already told Killian I’d be there." Mulan replied exasperated. "It would be rude if I didn’t show up." _

_ "I win." Emma said doing a small celebratory dance, and she dropped her smile playfully at Mulan’s glare. "I can’t wait to see Regina." _

_ "You guys have both been in Storybrooke all summer and you didn’t have time to see each other?" _

_ "Well, miss know it all. We spent the first half of the summer fighting, because…. well you know. Then we figured our shit out just in time for Regina’s mother, who really doesn’t like me, to drag her to the city. They get back later today. I haven’t seen her in over a month." Emma said before staring into space dreamily. _

_ "Emma!" Mulan said in a sing song voice."Emma! EM-MA!" Mulan smiled when Emma finally snapped out of it mouthing "what?" _

_ "You got a little drool." Mulan said jokingly pointing at her friend. "I get you miss her, but could you please not think about sex with your girlfriend right now?" Mulan finished with a pointed stare. _

_ "Sorry. It’s just been awhile is all….oh right sorry. I forgot about…." Emma said before trailing off seeing Mulan’s expression harden in an attempt to mask her emotions. _

_ "You know she was all mopey during the summer? Ruby has barely managed to hide her frustration at the situation." Emma said trying to comfort Mulan, who had yet to tell her the whole story. _

_ _______________________________________ _

_ Ruby and Aurora arrived at the party early. Ruby mixed Aurora’s drink for her. They sat down in the kitchen and talked for awhile before refilling their cups and moving to the living room. _

_ Aurora was leaning against a wall. She hadn’t had much to drink, or she didn’t think she had. But seeing as she almost never consumed alcohol it didn’t seem to take much, or at least she couldn’t be sure. Ruby had already switched her over to water for the time being just to be safe. _

_ Once Mulan arrived, Aurora started openly flirting with Viktor Whale, if for no other reason to distract herself from Mulan’s presence. Ruby made sure she was alright, before going to speak with Mulan, who looked awkward standing alone as Emma had found Regina and they had gone off somewhere. _

_ Ruby and Mulan half joked that they were probably having sex as it had been awhile for them. Mulan for her part was keeping her distance from Aurora, sending her some not so subtle worried glances in Aurora’s direction. _

_ She watched Viktor lean forward and Aurora turn her head so he landed the kiss on her cheek. She said something and he moved in again, Aurora’s hand on his chest. Ruby stopped mid-sentence questioning the expression on Mulan’s face before Mulan walked over to where Aurora was standing. _

_ "I believe the lady said no." _

_ "I believe she said not now." Viktor replied slurring his words, turning on the spot to face Mulan. _

_ “And I also believe it’s no longer your business.” He continued poking her in the chest. “Last I heard she broke up with you.” He said before Mulan swatted away his hand. _

_ Mulan tensed at the words, glancing over his shoulder to see Aurora staring at her feet apparently embarrassed by his words. Aurora was actually trying to avoid looking, more accurately staring mournfully, at Mulan.  _

_ "Just because she’s…single…" Mulan said her voice betraying the underlying pain she felt at saying those words. _

_ "Doesn’t mean she wants you." Mulan continued keeping her voice neutral. _

_ Viktor, who didn’t seem to have an appropriate reply, responded by shoving Mulan, who didn’t take kindly to his actions. With her own emotions boiling beneath the surface, Mulan uncharacteristically responded by shoving him back causing him to stumble several steps, drawing an audience. _

_ Viktor caught his balance and stepped forward to shove Mulan harder, but seeing as she was completely sober, she simply wavered on the spot, her stony expression morphed into anger. She managed to stop herself from punching the man, but she did shove him hard enough to fall over, granted he would have been stumbling without any help from anyone else. Seeing the him fall backwards, Mulan’s anger abated and she took a deep breath before not so kindly helping him to his feet.  _

_ No one heard what Whale muttered as he knocked away her hands. But no one could mistake the anger it elicited from Mulan.  _

_ "WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JU-" Mulan roared as she grabbed the front of his shirt yelling into his face. _

_ "Mulan." Aurora interrupted softly. Mulan looked over to see Aurora leaning against the wall. _

_ Ruby, who was surprised to hear Mulan swear, decided to step in at this point to stop her friend from doing something she would regret. Thankful that Aurora had spoken when she had, Ruby lightly tapped Mulan’s hand prompting her to release Whale. _

_ Ruby stepped between them and briefly caught Mulan’s eye before turning to face him. Mulan closed her eyes and took a deep breath trying to calm herself as she heard Ruby speak. _

_ "Now, Viktor there’s no need for that."  Ruby said turning to face Viktor who was swaying on the spot. _

_ "You’re pretty." Viktor said his smile returning. _

_ "Mulan, will you take Aurora home please? Actually, take her to my place." Ruby said her eyes not leaving Whale. _

_ Mulan paused before taking a deep breath, regretting her actions. She took the keys from Ruby’s outstretched hand before speaking. _

_ "Sure thing." Mulan said hesitantly walking over to Aurora, who had watched the entire event in shock leaning against the wall. _

_ Mulan put an arm around Aurora, who shifted her weight from the wall to Mulan. She placed a hand on Ruby’s shoulder in thanks as they made their way out. _

_ ______________________ _

_ *knock knock* _

_ "Aurora? Is everything okay in there?" Mulan asked softly through the bathroom door. _

_ "Huh?"  Aurora asked to herself more than anything. Where was she? Somewhere familiar…not home, Ruby’s place. Oh thank goodness, her parents would have been quite perturbed is she came home drunk, or at least a little bit drunk. _

_ "Aurora? Are you okay?" Mulan asked again knocking softly, her voice betraying her worry. _

_ "Yeah." Aurora said before exiting the bathroom where she had gone to change. _

_ Aurora was a little unsteady on her feet. However, Mulan kept her distance and looked embarrassed.  A little confused, since Mulan did help guide her while she was rambling about the stars, Aurora made her way over to Ruby’s bed. Aurora sat down on the edge of the bed staring at Mulan, who seemed to be focusing her attention elsewhere. As she put her legs under the covers, Aurora realized what had happened. She forgot to put on the pajama pants Mulan had taken out for her. _

_ "Why Mulan. Are you nervous?" Aurora asked playfully while smirking. Mulan cleared her throat making eye contact before continuing. _

_ "How do you feel?" Mulan asked once Aurora had laid down. _

_ "I’m fine. I didn’t drink that much you know." Aurora said resigning herself to the fact that Mulan wasn’t in the mood to talk. _

_ "There’s a glass of water on the nightstand." Mulan said softly. She paused by the bed internally debating giving Aurora a quick peck before deciding against it and turning off the light. _

_ "Goodnight Aurora." Mulan whispered quietly before moving to leave. _

_ In her sleepy state, Aurora started rambling to herself. _

_ "I love Mulan. I miss her…Then I should fix it….But I…she deserves better than me. But not being with her hurts. You know?….I do know…That’s why I can’t talk to her…why? Cause when I do, it’ll be over…really over…I miss her. I love her. But I can’t be selfish…. Mulan doesn’t deserve this pain.  Love is sacrifice after all. And I do love her." Aurora said quietly before quickly falling asleep unaware that Mulan had heard her entire speech. _

_ Mulan stood frozen by the door trying to process what she had just heard, until she realized how strange it was to be staring at Aurora in the dark while she slept. Mulan left confused and unsure of what to make of  what she just heard. _

_ (End Flashback) _

Emma and Regina walked around the town fair arms linked as they enjoyed their time together. While Regina had organized the fair, she didn’t have much to do during the fair, so she was able to spend some time with her family. However, Neal insisted on spending time with Henry, who was surprisingly willing to play games, leaving Emma and Regina to enjoy the time they could have together without looking after the teenager.

Mulan stood awkwardly across the street staring at the fair thoughtfully. Emma smiled glad that her friend had kept her word to come out. She silently asked Regina if she could drag her friend into the festivities. When Regina released her with a kiss, Emma jogged across the street.

"Hey. When you agreed to come, you know I meant you have to have fun right?" Emma said with a smile.

"I don’t have to do anything." Mulan replied with a raised eyebrow. Emma playfully stuck out her tongue, which elicited a chuckle and an eye roll from her friend.

"Fine." Mulan said taking a step forward as they walked side by side toward the fair.

"Yay." Emma replied with a fist pump. "I win."

"Win?" Mulan asked.

"Regina and I had a bet going whether or not you would show." Emma replied with a wink, earning her another eye roll from Mulan.

"I don’t want to know."

"I know." Emma said with a grin. "Sooooooo…."

"What?"

"How’s it going with Aurora?"

"How’s what going?" Mulan replied, but Emma wasn’t going to let her avoid the conversation that easily.

"Work. Life. Relationship. Everything. How’s it going?"

"It’s…going."

"Come on. You’ve got to give me more than that."

"Hi Regina." Mulan said avoiding the question with a smile.

"Hello Mulan. I trust work is going well?" Regina asked. Mulan nodded, but was cut off by Emma.

"Hey no work talk. We agreed."

"Work stays at work." Mulan and Regina said in unison eliciting a chuckle from Emma.

"So Mulan. You’re the guest of honor. What do you want to do?" Emma asked.

"Go home?" Mulan replied jokingly.

"Okay, okay." She continued in response to Emma’s playful glare. She paused to think for a moment, but her growling stomach responded for her.

"Food. I haven’t eaten yet." Mulan said sheepishly.

"Great. Regina’s buying." Emma said with a smile earning her a playful smack on the arm from Regina.

Emma and Regina smiled and linked arms as Mulan followed the couple over to the makeshift eating area. The threesome kept the conversation light, mostly about how Henry was doing, which allowed Mulan to eat as Regina and Emma did most of the talking. 

"So what do you want to do now?" Emma asked once Mulan finished eating.

"I promised Belle I’d listen to at least one of her stories." Mulan replied with a shrug.

"Alright, cool. Next one starts soon, right?" Emma asked looking at Regina who rolled her eyes before glancing at her watch.

"Yes, dear. We have seven minutes if they are on time." Regina replied as Mulan picked up her cane.

"We have time to grab some dessert?" Emma asked pouting at Regina who nodded in reply.

"Yes!" Emma said excitedly as she took a small hop before kissing Regina briefly on the cheek and jogging over to the cotton candy station. Mulan and Regina watched her go as they slowly walked in the direction of the story time booth. They maintained a light conversation regarding plans for the upcoming week and how Mulan was adjusting to her return.

By the time they reached the mini-theater set up for the story time puppet shows, Regina had begun questioning whether Mulan was looking for a more permanent residence since she had been living at Granny’s Inn, where Ruby was happy to have her. Mulan hesitantly accepted her offer to help. They barely began discussing what type of place Mulan would like to stay when Emma returned with Henry and Neal in tow. At which time, Mulan spoke with Henry and Neal about the activities they had done.

Henry didn’t want to watch the puppet show as it was a “kid’s thing,” so Neal took him around to play more games. Mulan, Emma and Regina settled in to watch the next show. It was a twist on the three little pigs and little red riding hood. They were pleasantly surprised when they heard the familiar voice of Ruby join Belle’s.

Afterwards, Mulan went to say hi to Belle and Ruby as Emma and Regina headed off to find Henry and spend some time with him.

"Hey." Mulan said once she turned the corner to see Belle and Ruby laughing at something.

"Mulan, you made it!" Belle said walking over to give a hug quickly followed by Ruby.

"So nice to see you out and about." Ruby commented.

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Mulan muttered to herself, before clearing her throat.

" I mean…It’s nice to see you two talking to each other instead of about each other." Mulan said pointedly.

"Did you enjoy the show?" Belle asked ignoring Mulan’s comment.

"Yes it was very good. I didn’t realize Ruby would be part of it as well."

"What can I say? It was fun." Ruby replied with a shrug and a smile. "Who knew entertaining some brats could be fun?"

"Don’t call them that. They’re children, Ruby." Belle scolded.

"And since when am I a brat?" Mulan added, enjoying the conversation.

"Who’s a brat?" A familiar voice said from behind Mulan. She turned suddenly to see who had joined their conversation.

"Aurora. What are you doing here? I mean hi." Mulan said flustered for reasons she couldn’t comprehend.

"It’s good to see you too Mulan. Ruby and I had plans to meet up after volunteering our time here?" Aurora said looking to Ruby.

"Is it okay if I steal Ruby for the night?" Belle asked breaking the tension of the extended silence.

"I..I suppose it’s alright." Aurora replied hesitantly. While part of her was happy to see Belle and Ruby getting along, she had been looking forward to re-building her friendship with Ruby.

"Go for it Ruby. I’ll keep Aurora company." Mulan said before she had a chance to think about what she was agreeing to, surprising everyone including herself.

Aurora turned to look at Mulan wondering what this meant. Mulan and Aurora were preoccupied by their own thoughts that they missed conspiratorial the smiles exchanged between Belle and Ruby.

_ (Flashback) _

_ Out of the corner of her eye, Aurora saw someone slide into the booth across from her. She looked up to see a very angry Emma glaring at her. _

_ "What’s wrong?" Aurora asked a little scared. Emma took a deep breath to calm herself, seeing as she promised Mulan she wouldn’t do this, and the last thing she wanted was to cause a scene.  _

_ "I don’t know what happened between you and Mulan at the end of last year." Emma said carefully choosing her words, her anger barely concealed. "And quite frankly, I really don’t care."  _

_ “All I know is that Mulan was upset all summer and you just ignored her.” Emma said raising her hand to stop Aurora who looked like she was about to speak. _

_ "Okay, technically you sent that message saying you could talk once she got here, but you still haven’t talked. Either way, that doesn’t matter right now. What does matter is my FRIEND is in trouble. And the one person who could help her is refusing to. And Mulan can be so stubborn sometimes…" Emma took a deep breath as she felt herself getting riled up. _

_ "As far as I know, everything that happened was because of you. Granted I wasn’t there, but there are only so many reasons Mulan would get into a fight. So if you care about her at all, you’ll fix this. Because losing you was hard on her. But getting kicked out of the army? That is the last thing she needs right now." Emma finished before getting up, not waiting for a response as she did not trust not to do something she would later regret. _

_ Aurora stared in shock, as all this was news to her. Emma, seeing her reaction, rolled her eyes and leaned forward. _

_ "You weren’t that drunk Aurora, so don’t play that game." Emma hissed quietly before turning and leaving as abruptly as she came. _

_ On some level, Aurora had a feeling something bad had happened that night, but she thought it had to do with the fight Ruby was currently having with Belle. Therefore, she hadn’t tried very hard to recall everything that had happened that night.  _

_ Aurora lay in bed staring at the ceiling. Her mind was too busy to fall asleep. It didn’t help that it was also way too early for her to go to bed. But considering she was unable to focus she had given up the pretense of working, which is why she was laying in bed staring at her ceiling when it was only 10PM. _

_ When she heard a familiar voice outside she looked outside to see  Mulan looking upset while on the phone. She assumed it had something to do with the situation Emma had alluded to in their earlier conversation. _

_ Aurora closed her eyes trying desperately to remember. Not that she had previously tried very hard to remember the night in question, seeing as she was quite embarrassed by her own actions. There was a party and there was alcohol, the excuse she had used to not remembering the events clearly. _

_ She and Ruby had arrived. They spoke in the kitchen as Ruby mixed their drinks. They talked. Then, they refilled their drinks. Mulan had arrived shortly after she and Ruby had moved to the living room. Mulan looked content, as Aurora not so subtly stared at her until Viktor Whale started talking to her. _

_ Ruby went to speak with Mulan, who was now awkwardly standing by herself as Emma had disappeared with Regina. She glanced over several times, but for some reason she had chosen to flirt with Whale to distract herself? She groaned at her own action she had been an idiot. But that still didn’t explain why Emma was furious. _

_ Aurora opened her eyes again as she had a feeling she wouldn’t like what had followed. Looking out the window, she saw Mulan pacing in her athletic gear, which she was wearing as she decided to go for a run to expend her excess energy. The stress of everything was starting to get to Mulan. The jog was helping her to distract herself until her father called to lecture her. Mulan paced as she listened to her father, careful not to allow her frustration to taint her responses as she knew it would only make things worse. _

_ Aurora wanted nothing more than to fix whatever was clearly troubling Mulan. And according to Emma she was the only one who could. If only  she could remember. Okay, what happened next? _

_ So Whale was drunk. She could practically taste the alcohol on his breath, not that she was sober herself. They spoke, about what she didn’t know anymore, but then…he leaned forward? Yes that’s right he moved in for a kiss and she turned her face and he slobbered on her cheek. She pushed him away and tried to play it off with a joke. He leaned forward again only to be interrupted by a voice behind him. Mulan, her knight in shining armor. Or at least her knight. Her beautiful protector. Mulan was an amazing person willing to stand up for her even after everything. And that’s why she had fallen in love… _

_ Focus….Oh dear, it was her fault. Aurora’s eyes snapped open as she recalled the events that followed. There was shoving. Whale was on the floor. Then, Mulan was yelling, but luckily Aurora had managed to say her name stopping her.  _

_ Viktor must have reported her, and that’s what Emma meant. Aurora looked out the window her stomach in knots. It had been her fault. If she hadn’t decided to drink, she wouldn’t have done anything so stupid. Damn it. Without thinking, Aurora left her room to solve the predicament Mulan was in. _

_ ___________________________ _

_ "Aurora." Viktor said smiling happily as he opened the door. "To what do I owe this pl-" _

_ "No, you don’t get to talk." Aurora interrupted angrily storming into his room. Knowing better than to speak back to a mob boss’ daughter, Viktor stood silently waiting for her to speak. Aurora paced wondering what to say. _

_ "What did you do?" Aurora asked angrily. _

_ "I…tried to kiss you?" Whale responded unsure of what she meant. _

_ "That’s not what I meant." Aurora said angrily stepping forward. Despite the fact that Whale was taller than her, he visibly shrank as she approached. _

_ "And you know it." She practically hissed. "But if you’re going to be like that. Why is Mulan in danger of being kicked out of the army?" _

_ "That bitch h-" Whale started, but Aurora’s angry expression stopped him in his tracks. _

_ "I…she…hit me." Whale finished weakly. _

_ "If I recall correctly, she managed to reign in her anger enough not to knock you out, which believe me she could have done in a second." Aurora finished in an admiring tone as she recalled watching Mulan successfully wrestle against her comrades. She refocused her attention on the man in front of her. Viktor looked like he was about to speak, but Aurora silenced him with a look. _

_ "So here’s what your going to do. You’re going to take back what you said. And respectfully apologize to Mulan. You made a mistake you were embarrassed to be turned down by a girl. Rejected. You made it up." Aurora said forcefully. Viktor looked like he wanted to ask a question, but was scared to ask. _

_ "What is it?" _

_ "What if they ask ab-" _

_ "Just mention that I was involved. Nothing else will need to be said." Aurora responded reluctantly. She hated her father’s influence and hated that she had resorted to using it, but it was her own fault Mulan was in trouble. Aurora was determined to see it put right. In her rush to confront the problem, she had not considered any other way to go about it. All that mattered is that she fixed it. And Mulan could continue to follow her dreams. And really that was all that mattered. _

_ "One more thing." Aurora said pausing at the door. _

_ "You better end that rumor you started about you and Ruby. Hurting my girlfriend is bad enough. You had to go after my best friend too? You better make this right." Aurora said angrily before storming out. _

_ (End Flashback) _

Aurora spend the first half of the night working at one of the art programs she had help to set up with Regina. While she had handed over control of the fair to Regina in an attempt to make the town more normal, Aurora still wanted to be involved, so they agreed that Aurora would be in charge of the art stations and she also chose to take the first shift. She had always enjoyed helping others especially children. It was one of the many things that made her feel normal, which was something she desperately clung on to.

However, she was looking forward to reconnecting with Ruby. At the encouragement of Mulan, Aurora decided to ask Ruby if she’d like to hang out at the fair. After she finished cleaning up, She made her way to the story time theater. She caught the end of the show, slightly confused as to why little red riding hood was helping the three little pigs. If she was being honest she wasn’t paying very close attention as she was distracted for the most part by the presence of Mulan and friends. Aurora was happy to see her out and about reconnecting with friends, but she still felt a twinge of hurt that she had had so much trouble reconnecting with her ex.

Once the show ended, she watched Mulan part ways from Regina and Emma. Upon realizing how much she was acting like a stalker, Aurora made her way over and found herself in an awkward conversation.

Before she knew it, Mulan offered to spend time with Aurora so that Ruby and Belle could spend some time together. Mulan offered her arm to Aurora, who raised a questioning eyebrow before taking Mulan’s arm with a smile.

As they walked away, Ruby was doing a small celebratory dance eliciting a smile from Belle before they continued packing away the puppets.

They walked in a comfortable silence as Aurora tensed upon realizing she had moved to holding Mulan’s hand. Mulan seemed to notice and without moving her head she gave Aurora’s hand a reassuring squeeze causing Aurora to smile. Without thinking, they ended up walking out of the fair towards the harbor pathway. And without speaking they sat down on a familiar bench overlooking the harbor.

Finding the silence tedious, Mulan started balancing her cane on her finger. A nervous habit she had developed when she wanted to distract her mind from unpleasant thoughts. Aurora watched with a curious, but amused look on her face before giving a small cheer and clap when Mulan managed to balance her cane on one finger and switch hand without dropping her cane to the ground.

"How long did that take to master?" Aurora questioned finally feeling comfortable enough to speak.

"Not long actually. It turns out people like to make you wait to keep you on your toes. And finding an activity makes the time move quickly. Also, helps when there are kids around. Shows your not scared." Mulan answered easily.

"So all that time on your hands and the best you can do is balance your cane?" Aurora asked joking.

"I’m a little rusty." Mulan replied defensively standing up. Aurora watched in confusion as Mulan carefully balanced the cane on her "bad" leg before bouncing it up to her finger. After a couple failed attempts, she succeeded with a smile and fist pump. Aurora clapped accordingly and Mulan gave a little bow before sitting down as they both started laughing at how childish they were acting.

"Okay. Okay. You win." Aurora said once they calmed down a bit.

"What do I win?" Mulan asked with a raised eyebrow.

"My respect?" Aurora replied uncertainly.

"Oh, I didn’t have your respect?" Mulan replied her tone serious, but her expression playful. Aurora playfully hummed as if deep in thought before replying.

"Oh, I don’t know. I mean you only valiantly served in the army before stupidly being a brave hero and being honorably discharged due to injury in defiance of your admittedly scary father. Why ever would you have my respect?" Aurora said with a playful twinkle in her eye. Surprisingly, Mulan blushed and took a moment to clear her throat before replying.

"Gee when you put it like that you’d think that you’re some useless little princess who never had to work a day in her life for anything she ever wanted." Mulan replied with an admiring smile. 

"Why Mulan are you trying to woo me?" Aurora asked half joking.

"Are you woo-able?" Mulan asked in a tone that left Aurora questioning whether she was being serious or not. But before Aurora could think of an appropriate response her phone rang.

"Saved by the bell." Aurora muttered before looking to see it was a reminder she had set to ensure that she would start cleaning up the fair in time. She looked up from her phone to see Mulan looking at her questioningly.

"I should go back to the fair to clean up." Aurora said moving to get up shortly followed by Mulan.

"Would you like some help?"

"It’s not necessary." Aurora replied as they started walking.

"I’d like to help, unless you don-"

"No, I’d love the help." Aurora cut her off, surprising herself. She cleared her throat before continuing.

"I mean. I’d appreciate any help I can get. It would help speed up the process so I can get to bed at a reasonable hour." Aurora said.

"As if you don’t already stay up at all hours of the night." Mulan replied with an eye roll. 

Aurora indicated that she would be cleaning up the art station which was on the other side of the fair. They passed Ruby who gave a thumbs up indicating the night had gone well with Belle, eliciting a smile from the pair as they both hoped it would lead to a reconciliation for their friends. If nothing else, Mulan and Aurora both hoped for Ruby and Belle to find their happy ending.

While throwing away some trash, Mulan saw Mr. Gold speaking to Belle. He looked angry and Belle looked a little scared of what he was saying. Mulan made her way over, but Mr. Gold saw her. Before she had a chance to say anything, he walked away with a nod of his head in acknowledgement. Belle smiled at her without speaking. She looked shaken up, but walked away without saying a word. Mulan made a mental note to ask Belle about the strange encounter.

Mulan wore a confused look as she walked back to Aurora who was sitting on a table as she was waiting for Mulan to return. Distracted, she did not notice the knowing smile Aurora was wearing.

"You look pensive." Aurora noted as they were walking in silence towards her home.

"Huh?" Mulan replied before shaking her head. "Oh, no it’s nothing." 

"Have you figured out the ring yet?" Mulan asked in a obvious deflection, which Aurora allowed since she wanted to discuss it.

"I have." Aurora replied grinning.

"And?" Mulan questioned a small smile forming.

"You’re right." Aurora said pausing thoughtfully.

“It should have been obvious. After all, you did give it to me after we reconciled. Even if it does represent a horrible anniversary, which I still don’t understand why we celebrated on THAT date, but still. The ring’s significance was never about that….uh….misjudgment of mine.” Aurora said pausing again this time recalling that nightmare of events.

"Hey, none of that now." Mulan said playfully wagging her cane at Aurora when she noticed her expression fall. Aurora smiled at the gesture.

"But I’m glad I didn’t have to explain it. I feel like it wouldn’t have the same meaning….if that makes sense." Mulan continued making a face of concentration trying to figure out if her reasoning was sound.

"I think your right." Aurora said interrupting Mulan’s convoluted thought process as she could see the confusion starting to build in Mulan’s expression.

"Oh thank goodness." Mulan replied as her body relaxed at the revelation as she felt she could not explain it properly. They exchanged smiles, happy that they had come to an understanding, of sorts, regarding their personal relationship.

Aurora paused briefly when she saw the lights on in the house indicating Philip was home. They awkwardly looked at each other wondering what to say, but recognizing that they had overcome some invisible obstacle and they could, at very least be, friends again.

_ (Flashback) _

_ Aurora tensed when she felt someone slide into the booth across from her since the last time it had happened she had been lectured and an unpleasant revelation had followed. She looked up to see Mulan fidgeting nervously. _

_ "Hi."  _

_ "Hi." _

_ "So….Whale told me what you did…." Mulan started before trailing off.  _

_ "He wasn’t supposed to tell you that." Aurora muttered, her voice a mix of anger and embarrassment. _

_ "I mean, it…it was all my fault to begin with anyway. So really I should just apologize to you. So I’m sorry I was an idiot. I never meant for anything to happen. I was just trying to relax and I guess I dr—" Aurora rambled, but was cut off when she heard Mulan release a soft "oh." _

_ Aurora looked up confused to see Mulan staring at the table looking embarrassed,  but she watched her expression shift to anger before looking up. _

_ "Really, that’s what your going to apologize for? Seriously Aurora? You have nothing to be sorry for. Not from THAT night. At least." Mulan said her voice more frustrated than angry. _

_ "I came to thank you." Mulan said not looking Aurora in the eye. _

_ "So thank you Aurora. You didn’t have to speak up on my behalf. I acted wrongly in…shoving Whale." Mulan continued after making eye contact.  _

_ "So thank you for helping me. I…really do appreciate it."  Mulan finished softly, before quickly rising and leaving the diner. _

_ ________________________________________ _

_ Feeling unsettled by her conversation with Mulan, Aurora decided that she needed to talk to her. When it was clear Mulan was elsewhere, Aurora quietly sat down next to her door thinking of what to say. _

_ Well, at least she had time to think since she still did not know what to say. Should she apologize? No, that wouldn’t be enough, she would have to explain. She owed Mulan that much. Mulan deserved to know the truth.  _

_ About an hour later, Mulan arrived looking tired and barely acknowledged Aurora sitting by her door. However, she silently invited Aurora in, an offer she was happy to accept. Without speaking, Mulan moved to shed her uniform, which she had been wearing for reasons Aurora didn’t know. _

_ Mulan started changing as if Aurora wasn’t present. Aurora was grateful Mulan had at least faced the wall since she realized after about a minute that she had been staring at Mulan’s back and admiring her toned figure. Blushing Aurora turned away just in time for Mulan to turn around and look at her with a questioning look, silently waiting for her to speak first. _

_ "Aurora, why are you here?" Mulan asked bluntly in a tired voice. She had had a long day giving her own side of the story despite Whale’s decision not to follow through with his accusations, but she had still endured a long line of questioning. The last thing she needed or wanted was an argument with Aurora. _

_ "I’m sorry." Aurora said softly, pausing to figure out what to say since she still had not decided why she was there. _

_ "I…Everything that happened was all my fault. It’s nothing you did. Or didn’t do for that matter. I was just scared." _

_ "Your going to have to do better than that." Mulan said her frustration regarding their situation obvious. _

_ "You were scared? Okay, sure I can take that for the night you ran out. But everything else? No. Ignoring me? That’s not a good explanation Aurora. You ran out on me and then refused to speak to me. We…whatever it is…or was I deserve an explanation. You’re going to have to do better than that." Mulan said as she started pacing. Aurora watched nervously not knowing what to say. _

_ After a long thirty seconds of silence, Mulan stopped to stare at Aurora, who returned her gaze wondering why Mulan seemed…confused. _

_ "Wow…you really don’t remember?" Mulan asked not looking at Aurora, but continued before she had a chance to respond. _

_ "Actually, you know what? No…no I don’t buy that for a second. We both know you weren’t that drunk Aurora." Mulan continued her frustration obvious. _

_"What?" Aurora asked before a long silence began. Aurora started thinking and trying to remember that night again. After the party and after the fight, Mulan walked her home, or to Ruby’s place, and tucked her in._ _And then….oh…_

_ Granted, she remembered speaking, but she had assumed it was a dream. Or maybe she had just hoped Mulan hadn’t heard her.  _

_ "So what was all that about? Did you mean it? There’s so much I really don’t understand about all of this" Mulan said as Aurora fell silent at the realization that Mulan had heard her entire mini-speech. Mulan started pacing and talking mostly to herself. _

_ "But here’s what I do know." Mulan said slowing down, but still pacing.  _

_ "Whatever it is your…scared of…it has nothing to do with me." Mulan said slowly carefully selecting her words. "It’s about your father. And his work. I know that much." _

_ Aurora tensed at the revelation and looked at Mulan in shock. Mulan knew? All this time? Since when? She felt herself staring, her minding working trying to find the right thing to say but her thoughts were cut off when Mulan continued speaking. _

_ "I know you Aurora. You tense whenever it comes up. And avoid talking about it at all costs. Not to mention you change subjects whenever it comes up. But none of that matters.” Mulan explained softly finally stopping to stand in front of Aurora. _

_ "What does matter is….I love you Aurora.There’s no way around it. I know you. And I love you….for who you are. Everything you are and everything you’re not." Mulan said taking a deep breath before continuing looking Aurora in the eye. _

_ "I love you. And you’re not your father. And your scared to become like him. And you fight so hard against that. I don’t know why and I’ve never pushed. Because it’s really not that important… I mean….Yeah, my family means the world to me. And family is important to me. And I know you love your parents. Even if there is something you don’t like about them." _

_ "But I love you for who you are. Not for your family. Not what your father does. I love you Aurora. I love how you always speak up for what you believe is right. I love that look you get on your face when your deep in thought. I love that you try not to speak without thinking. And you try to do what’s best for everyone. I love that you care so much about helping others. Your patience and understanding and caring.” _

_ "I fell in love with you because of who you are. Your father? His business? None of it matters. Because I fell in love with you. Everything you a-" Mulan was cut off by Aurora, who had surged forward upon hearing the words and started kissing her deeply. She poured all of her love and regret into the kiss to shoe. Mulan tensed at first before returning the kiss which deepened before Aurora realized she had started crying. _

_ Mulan held her as they sat on the edge of the bed. Aurora crying into Mulan’s shoulder apologizing for her actions and expressing her feelings to love and gratitude. Eventually they laid down in bed and fell asleep in each others arms. _

_ Before Aurora left the following morning, Mulan gave her a ring. _

_ "I got this at the fair before…But it’s for you…Happy anniversary Aurora." Mulan said softly with a smile. Aurora understood the underlying meaning without hearing the words. She didn’t think should could listen to another heartfelt declaration from Mulan without completely breaking down. _

_ "I love you, too, Mulan." Aurora had replied with another long kiss before she enjoyed the best day she had had in a long time. _

_ (End Flashback) _

Mulan got up from her bed wondering who would be coming by at this late hour.

"Philip? What are you doing here?" Mulan asked surprised by his presence.

"May I come in?" Philip asked before Mulan opened the door and motioned for him to enter.

"So….why are you here?"

"I guess there is no need for small talk. What’s your plan?"

"For what?" Mulan asked deflecting as she was pretty sure she knew what he was asking. Philip wasn’t sure how to get his point across, so he silently pondered the correct phrasing before continuing.

"Why are you in Storybrooke?" Philip asked bluntly.

"I’m a consultant working with Sheriff to help take down organized crime." Mulan replied automatically.

"And what about Aurora?"

"What about her?"

"You want to help her…escape the family business." Philip said carefully choosing his words looking Mulan in the eye.

"Yes." Mulan replied reluctantly.

"Do you have a plan?" Philip asked. Mulan exhaled loudly and barely shook her head.

"That’s what I thought." .

"Why are you here?" Mulan asked.

"Surely, you know it’s not easy to just leave our business." Philip stated looking at Mulan who nodded in agreement.

"Aurora deserves a life free from this life. She’s a good person who deserves so much more. It won’t be easy to free her."

"Agreed." Mulan responded trying to determine where Philip was going with this. He looked her in the eye so his sincerity would be understood and his meaning clear.

"I want to help." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on my tumblr 7/11/2013


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sleeping Warrior AU. Aurora is a mob boss in a very corrupt Storybrooke. Mulan has returned to help take down organized crime. They have a long complicated history. Will be full of angst. AU

Belle was working in the shelves of the library, quietly humming to herself as she was putting books away. She heard the door open due to the bell above the door Ruby had recently helped her install. Hearing the unique gait of someone walking with a cane, Belle tensed and prepared herself for the anticipated confrontation.

"Mr. Gold I told y—" Belle started to say as she walked out of the shelves with a small pile of books in her hands.

"….you’re not Mr. Gold." Belle said stupidly after making eye contact with her friend.

"No I’m not." Mulan said slightly amused, but more than a little curious as she watched Belle relax. "We had dinner plans for tonight. Unless, you would rath—"

"No, I remember." Belle replied quickly, before she placed the books on the front desk and ducked down to gather her things before popping back up wearing a fake smile, hoping to distract her observant friend.

"Where did you want to go? I was thinking pizza. How does that sound?" Belle asked in an overly cheery voice. Mulan sighed before nodding, thinking that she would ask Belle about her reaction later.

Belle lead the way out of the library and they made small talk as they walked towards Neal’s Fire and Grill. Both woman wanting to keep the tone of the conversation light for the time being, as they vaguely discussed their day, the weather and joked about the local wildlife. When they arrived at the restaurant, their discussion switched to food selection.

"How are things going with Aurora?" Belle asked once they had ordered.

"Good." Mulan replied bluntly. "What?" She replied to Belle’s exasperated expression.

"That’s not a response."

"There’s not much I can say." Mulan replied with a shrug. "Our work is…sensitive and confidentiality is very important. Obviously."

"I know that. And that’s not what I was asking." Belle said pointedly.

"Okay, okay." Mulan replied in a resigned tone. "Work has been…productive."

"Why must you make this so difficult?" Belle asked firmly with an amused smile.

"Because." Mulan replied receiving a glare from Belle before continuing.

“I mean…The work stuff is easy…It’s going well. We’re making progress. And it’s easy because…well work is something we’re both good at…It’s so easy to talk about it. We’re both good at staying focused and getting things done…But everything else? It’s hard….it has been easier since the fair…but…there’s something else. Something different than before. And I don’t know if it’s work…or something else completely….It’s complicated.” Mulan said thinking aloud.

"Understandably so."

"Why do you say that?" Mulan asked wondering if Belle knew something she didn’t.

"Because there’s a lot of history." Belle said as if it was obvious. "There will be more than one obstacle…I’m sure you already knew that. Add in everything else…with all the work you two are doing…well…I’d be worried if it wasn’t complicated." 

"Good point." Mulan said with a nod realizing that it was indeed very obvious. "What about you? You and Ruby seemed pretty cozy at the fair." She continued with a smile.

"It was great. We had such a wonderful time. Preparing for the show and putting it on. It was great. We had a lot of fun. Just…easy, you know?" Belle said with a small smile, pausing as she got lost in thought. Mulan waited for her to continue, and became worried when Belle’s expression fell. 

"What is it?" Mulan asked gently when she thought she saw a moment of fear across her friend’s face.

"What? Oh nothing. I mean Ruby and I are great." Belle said. "We had so much fun at the fair." 

"So you haven’t seen her since?"

"We’ve had a couple dinners and she brought her lunch a couple times. It’s been really great hanging out with her again. It just came so easily." 

"Okay?" Mulan replied in a questioning tone. "There’s a ‘but’ somewhere in there."

Belle wasn’t sure what to say, but was saved when the pizza arrived and they both started eating. As the silence grew, they both became increasingly uncomfortable as Belle was wondering if Mulan was waiting for a response and Mulan was a bit worried about what was causing Belle’s hesitation.

"So how is work going?" Mulan finally asked sensing that Belle was struggling with something. She watched some tension leave the woman across from her, making her more curious about what was going on. Belle smiled thankfully, but chuckled at the question itself.

"I work in a library Mulan. Nothing particularly interesting to report. People taking out books, paying late fees, asking questions. However, I did start reading the most wonderful story about a prince, a warrior, and a princess trapped in a terrible sleeping curse." Belle explained with a smile.

"Sounds interesting. How far along are you?" Mulan asked. Belle’s smile widened as she remembered why she enjoyed her conversations with Mulan. It was her genuine interest when Belle started talking about her books. Mulan was always a great listener and would always ask the right questions at the right times, which allowed Belle to talk about the stories she read, something she craved and truly missed since Mulan left and her relationship with Ruby had become strained. Mulan enjoyed seeing Belle become much more cheerful and animated once she was able to dive into the telling of the story.

As they were leaving, Belle was describing where she had last stopped and began speculating of what might follow. Apparently, she had just passed an interesting plot twist where the prince had been killed, as well as the appearance of some mysterious characters, and she was only half way through the book.

Once they made it to the library, Belle invited Mulan to come in and spend some more time together to continue their conversation, commenting on how little they have spoken since Mulan’s return to Storybrooke. Once they settled in Belle’s apartment, they sat on the couch. Belle with a glass of wine and Mulan with a water.

"How well do you know Philip?" Mulan asked a question she had been pondering for some time. 

"We’re not very close, but he does come in to ask for book recommendations every once in awhile."

"What’s he like?" Mulan asked sensing that Belle knew more than she was saying.

"He is a good man. A kind caring man despite his…work." Belle replied.

"You seem so sure." Mulan said watching a range of emotions cross her friends face, as if she was conflicted.

"Trust me. He’s a good man."

"How do you know?" Mulan asked.

"Why do you want to know about…Aurora’s…boyfriend?" Belle questioned.

"It’s not just about Aurora dating him or whatever they are together, if that’s what you mean." Mulan said carefully.

"So this is about work." Belle stated.

"There’s always more to people than what’s in a file. And since I can’t really speak to him casually….I thought our resident librarian would know." Mulan said thoughtfully with a smile.

"He’s a good man, Mulan. I know that much."

"But how? I…I need proof before…I can move forward." Mulan persisted. 

"When he asks me for book recommendations" Belle started clearly still thinking as she spoke. "He’s very good at knowing the right questions to ask. And he loves books. So he can’t possibly be evil." Belle joked with a smile.

"Of course." Mulan replied grinning, staring at Belle who was deep in thought. Belle took a deep breathe before deciding that she could trust Mulan to keep her secret…well technically it was Philip’s secret.

"I’m sure you know about his regularly scheduled ‘vacations’ where Philip leaves town for a week." Belle started and continued when Mulan nodded.

"Like I said Philip comes in and often asks for book recommendations. And especially after my accident, I’ve truly enjoyed our conversations. But before one of his ‘vacations; he came in…" Belle began.

_ (Flashback) _

_ "Hi Philip. How are you?" Belle greeted. _

_ "Wonderful. I loved your recommendation. The adventure story…The one with the beanstalk, and the ogre, and I loved that twist with the prince’s identity.” Philip replied with a smile. _

_ "Ah, I see." _

_ "So…did you get anything new?" Philip asked, knowing how much Belle enjoyed the arrival of new books. _

_ "Not since you last came in…yesterday." Belle said with a smile. _

_ ”What can I say? I couldn’t put it down. It was a great story.” _

“ _ Well, I don’t have anything new, but if you liked that story, then I can make some other recommendations.” Belle said as she started to walk out from behind the desk towards the shelves. _

_ "Actually, I was hoping to find something…a little different." Philip said hesitantly as he followed Belle. _

_ "Oh, yeah?" Belle asked happily stopping to turn and look at him. "What were you thinking?" _

_ "Oh, um…something a little less…fantasy world?….something set more…ummm…in modern times. Like our world…sort of." Philip said with uncertainty. _

_ "Hmmmmm…okay…so you don’t want any fantastical elements?" Belle asked thoughtfully as she started moving in a different direction Philip walking beside her but a half step behind so that she could lead the way. _

_ "No…I mean more…dark…modern…ummm…" Philip said trying to find the right words. "Less…Lord of the Rings…more like Harry Potter?" Philip said still uncertain trying to remember. _

_ "Oh…okay." Belle said smiling as she took another sharp turn. "Nice to see you branching out more." _

_ "Yeah…oh…and not magical like Harry Potter…..but…more…what was it?" Philip mumbled to himself trying to remember. "Oh right not focused on magic like Harry Potter, but magical elements like the show Buffy." _

_ "Okay…" Belle said before stopping to look at Philip. "You know it would help if you told me who this book was for." Belle asked jokingly with a smile. _

_ Belle wasn’t sure if it was for someone else or not, but Philip’s deer in headlights expression answered her question for her. _

_ "I….I…it’s not…" Philip stuttered before trailing off. Belle suddenly felt very awkward not expecting to elicit such a nervous response from Philip. After about a minute, she started searching again in silence and handed Philip a book. _

_ "Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry." She whispered as they walked towards the front desk so he could check out the book. _

_ "It’s for my daughter." Philip said quietly knowing that they were alone. He left immediately afterwards not waiting for a response as Belle stood surprised by the revelation. The following week, Philip returned from his “vacation” and the returned the book in silence. _

_ "I won’t tell anyone." Belle said looking him in the eye before he left with a nod and a thankful smile. _

_ (End Flashback) _

 

"…but he seemed grateful that he could talk about her with someone else." Belle finished.

"Having a daughter doesn’t automatically make him a good man." Mulan said still processing this information.

"You’re right, it doesn’t. But the way he lights up when he mentions her. He loves to talk about her. But he also clearly cares about her and worries about how she feels about his absence. His guilt that he can’t be there for her….But he visits her every other month. And brings her a book, she loves books. And thinks and tries to find the ‘perfect’ one." Belle explained before a lengthy pause.  

"Thank you for telling me. I won’t tell anyone that I know." Mulan said after she processed what Belle had revealed. Philip had a daughter who was not in Storybrooke for one reason or another. Perhaps Philip was genuine in wanting to help Aurora out, if not for her good, but for his own benefit as well. She was deep in thought contemplating the situation until Belle’s voice interrupted her train of thought.

"I know his work is…unpleasant, but there is a good man in him. I see it in him whenever he talks about Dawn…It’s very obvious." Belle said rambling to fill the silence as Mulan was still deep in thought.

"Much like Killian, I supposed. Well, Killian was little more…arrogant. But a good man deep down, but still keeping it hidden. But once you see it…it’s clear as day." Belle said thoughtfully trying to clarify her point.

"Remember when he started dating Milah? And everyone said she was making a terrible decision. Killian dating someone with a child? He’s not perfect, but he clearly cares for her and Neal. I mean…it wasn’t easy for them, but in the end his goodn—" Belle stopped herself mid-sentence as she realized what she had just revealed. She looked wide eyed at Mulan hoping she hadn’t noticed, but if her words hadn’t tipped Mulan off, then her reaction definitely did. After a minute, Mulan remembered her initial conversation with Ruby on the topic and suddenly understood Belle’s sudden reaction. 

_ (Flashback) _

_ “…she’ll recognize you she just won’t remember anything since….you remember that time we broke up for a month and she started dating Killian Jones?” _

_ "…So college? Junior year?" _

_ "She remembers that time we broke up, but not…." Ruby continues before trailing off. _

_ "Everything else" Mulan finishes the sentence. “But it’s been 3 years since the accident, surely you guys are friends again?" _

_ "Not really…she just remembers the fight, and not how we made up. She comes in every now and then…we have a weird friendship…It was bad enough when she thought she was still dating Killian. You know especially with Milah being around…" _

_ "Sorry I shouldn’t have asked. I guess I’m just used to you guys being together" _

_ (End Flashback) _

"Your secret is safe with me." Mulan said softly staring at her friend who was avoiding eye contact.

Without speaking, she placed a hand on top of Belle’s gave it a quick squeeze. They sat in silence as Mulan processed this new piece of information. Belle’s mind started racing to find an explanation, but also knew there was nothing she could say to change it.

"After the accident, my memories came back in bits and pieces. Usually an item or location would trigger something. But after six months nothing new came back and we just thought they never would." Belle said softly as an explanation. Some part of her was relieved that she had someone to share this secret with since she had carried it it alone for so long.

"Do you remember…everything?" Mulan asked gently.

"Just about everything…Me and Ruby reconciling, our relationship. The proposal, getting married. Aurora’s mom. Graduation. You leaving and coming back injured, both times. You getting married. Emma eloping with Regina….Aurora’s dad…the car accident." Belle replied before releasing a dark half chuckle.

"And of course it all seemed to come back during a date with Mr. Gold….well not the date, but the week leading up to the date, I suppose." Belle recalled.

"I know. But in my defense it was only one date. He was rather persistent." Belle said, glancing at Mulan who had failed to keep a disgusted expression from appearing on her face.

"Though in retrospect, it wasn’t really me he was interested in." Belle said thoughtfully.

"He was after Aurora." Mulan said after a long moment.

"He was fishing for information about Aurora, yes." Belle said with a nod. "His pushing is really what brought back a slew of memories. His statements full of implications really. But really I think he did it on purpose. Why else would he have those ridiculous trinkets with him?" Belle said bitterly.

"And when I refused to see him again, I don’t know how…but he correctly deduced that I remembered before I had a chance to speak to anyone else." Belle explained.

"Why did you wait?"

"Honestly, I was a bit overwhelmed. I regained years of memories in the span of a week or so. And I was trying to separate dreams from memories. I was worried I might sound a bit…crazy.” 

"I don’t see how keeping you from Ruby benefits him." Mulan said thinking out loud.

"I’ve thought about that…and I think…again…it’s all about Aurora. After all, he simply wants power and despite the power struggles, Aurora was…is still on top." Belle explained.

"If I had regained my memory, it would have been easier for Ruby and Aurora to move forward." Belle explained in response to Mulan’s confused expression.

"You have given this a lot of thought." Mulan stated as she continued processing all of this new information, Belle debated whether or not to explain further, but feeling some relief at sharing her secrets she decided to continue.

"I have contemplated defying Mr. Gold…about how much Mr. Gold cares about me staying away. His motivations and how far he would go to maintain the status quo. After all, he has never been one to ‘break his deals’, as he would like to say." Belle explained her own distaste for the situation showing.

"And…what exactly the the agreement you are sticking to?" Mulan asked her tone a mix of concern and anger.

"Mr. Gold technically still owns the inn and diner, even if Granny had been running it for as long as anyone can remember." Bell explained simply, shuddering as she thought of his exact words. Mulan understood the implication and didn’t ask for any further explanation. 

"That bastard." Mulan muttered under her breath before giving Belle’s hand another squeeze before they settled into a thoughtful silence.

"I should have come back sooner." Mulan whispered guiltily as Belle refilled her wine glass.

"None of that." Belle replied sternly. "Though I appreciate the sentiment." She continued with a smile. "Besides, there is little you could have done." Belle said before they settled into another silence.

"Well, I’m back now. So I’ll get you and Ruby back together if it’s the last thing I do." Mulan said with finality, but with a smile trying to lighten the mood.

"But no fighting. I don’t think Aurora would ever forgive me if I allowed you to fight on my behalf." Belle said jokingly following Mulan’s lead. "Though I would thoroughly enjoy watching Mr. Gold try to fend you off." She continued with a smile eliciting a snort from Mulan.

"Come on, I deserve more credit than that. It wouldn’t be much of a fight." Mulan said with a smile before yawning. "Sorry about that." She said glancing at her watch.

"It is late isn’t it?" Belle commented looking at the clock.

"Yeah I should probably get going." Mulan said stretching before getting up and limping over to the sink to put away their glasses.

"Well, it was great to see you." Belle said handing Mulan her cane.

"Same here. Maybe next time less intense heart to heart conversation, yeah?" Mulan said smiling.

"Agreed." Belle said with a chuckle walking Mulan to the door.

"And don’t worry your secrets are safe with me." Mulan whispered in Belle’s ear as they hugged.

"We’ll fix this, though. You have my word." Mulan continued after Belle released her.

"Thank you. Make sure to look both ways before crossing the street" Belle joked with a smile.

"Will do. Goodnight." Mulan said before turning to leave. Belle smiled before closing the door behind her.

____________________________

"Are you sure your alright? That’s your fifth cup of coffee today."

"I’m right on schedule then." Mulan joked with a smile.

"No it’s not. You usually stop at three." Aurora replied unable to get the worry out of her voice.

"I had a late night last night." Mulan said bluntly as she sat back down with her fresh cup of coffee. "And since when have kept such a close eye on how much coffee I consume?" Mulan asked in an amused tone.

"I don’t." Aurora said quietly a little embarrassed.  "But you saw Belle last night. I don’t see why that would keep you up late." Aurora said her tone more question than statement.

"Well…how did you put it? Oh yes eight years of stories gives us plenty to discuss." Mulan replied smoothly.

"No need to be jealous." Mulan commented with a smirk before taking a sip of coffee as she leaned back in her chair. Mulan enjoyed the scene as a blushing Aurora mouth silently as she tried to find the right retort.

"Let’s get back to work." Aurora mumbled feeling embarrassed as she  pointed at the files in front of her.

"For the record, I’m not jealous." Aurora continued looking up to see an unconvinced Mulan. "At least, not in the way your implying." 

"So you spoke to Regina last week?" Aurora asked quickly changing subjects. Mulan appreciated the distraction as she wasn’t sure what Aurora had meant.

Mulan and Aurora continued their discussions regarding Cora. In agreement with Emma and Regina, Cora and her top lieutenants would be arrested simultaneously with various individuals they believed would be willing to testify against them. They believed that had a watertight case against all of them which could only be strengthened if they made some deals to get them to testify against each other.

They were in the process of organizing the information and double checking their information for any holes before moving in within the next month. Emma was gathering outside help in order to move in on everyone at once. Regina was preparing the necessary paperwork. Mulan was double checking and verifying the evidence with Aurora who was officially unconnected to the case at hand.

As had become an almost weekly ritual, they went out for dinner after work. It had been difficult, but they had come to an agreement that they would try to keep their dinner conversations light and easy. For the most part, they discussed their friends, family, and Mulan talked superficially about her time in the city.

Of course, since the events of the town fair the major topic of conversation was the relationship status between their friends Belle and Ruby. However, they hadn’t come up with much of a plan to reunite the pair as previous success of getting them to randomly run into each other wouldn’t work again.

"You realize you never did tell me how last night with Belle went." Aurora stated after they ordered their food. "Well, beyond the fact that you were out late."

"We had a late night heart to heart." Mulan replied debating how much to reveal. She hadn’t had a sufficient amount of time to process all of the new information Belle had revealed, let alone determine how much she could and should tell Aurora. After all, Mr. Gold worked for her, or they were partners of some sort. Mulan still wasn’t sure of how deep that connection went.

"And?" Aurora prompted.

"It’s safe to say Belle is still interested in Ruby, who is definitely still interested in her."

"That was never in doubt." Aurora replied questioningly.

"Those two are a mess. I mean, they clearly still love each other, but…for whatever reason…they both think the other is better off without them. Which leaves them in this weird limbo state where they want to be friends, but both feel something more, but neither one wants to act on it. But even trying to be friends is difficult because they can’t seem to get passed their own doubts." Mulan said finishing her mini-rant just in time for their food to arrive.

"We lead complicated lives, don’t we?" Aurora said with a smile before they ate in silence both deep in thought.

Mulan was preoccupied by the fact that her rambling had been less about Ruby and Belle than she realized and hoping Aurora hadn’t noticed. Aurora’s guilt came to the forefront of her mind a she wondered if Mulan blamed her as much as she blamed herself for their friend’s situation.

"Don’t blame yourself Aurora." Mulan said softly noticing Aurora’s somber expression. 

"Shouldn’t I?" Aurora replied guiltily, confirming Mulan’s suspicions of where her mind had gone. 

"No." Mulan replied bluntly. "We all make our own choices. And you didn’t force anyone into anything." Mulan finished leaving Aurora wondering what exactly she was talking about. They finished their meal in silence as they were both unsure of what to say next. 

"Would you like to go for a walk?" Mulan asked once they left the restaurant.

"Sure…Is there something you wanted to talk about?” Aurora asked wondering what this would accomplish seeing as most of dinner had been silent.

"No…yes…maybe." Mulan said conflicted.

"Glad we cleared that up." Aurora responded amused.

"How’s Philip?" Mulan deflected to her default question before realizing too late that it probably wasn’t that safe a topic anymore.

"Philip is…He’s been better. His last trip was….unpleasant." Aurora said cryptically. "He’s been distant and moody… I’m not sure if it’s us, work, or….something else."

Mulan hummed in acknowledgement wondering if his mood had anything to do with her non-decision regarding his offer to help.

"Did you want to discuss us or Ruby and Belle?" Aurora asked bluntly wanting to discuss something less worrying.

"You’re just going to dive right in, huh?" Mulan replied somewhat amused.

"Alright, alright." Mulan continued at Aurora’s less than amused expression. "Both, I suppose….What are we doing, Aurora? This isn’t…the smartest thing we’re doing here."

"We’re working to make Storybrooke ‘normal’." Aurora replied unsure of what Mulan was referring to.

"And with Belle and Ruby?"

"Fixing what broke because of me." Aurora replied softly.

"Aurora." Mulan said softly grabbing Aurora’s arm to stop her from walking. "That’s not your fault. You didn’t order Ruby’s car to get messed with. You didn’t want Belle’s memory to be affected. You didn’t keep them from moving forward." Mulan said gently maintaining eye contact.

"Ruby was targeted because she was my best friend. If not for me, there would have been no car accident. No memory loss. And nothing for Ruby to blame herself for. And no reason for them to be where they are now….and you…you wouldn’t…" Aurora trailed off weakly motioning to Mulan’s cane.

"Why are you so determined to see yourself as the bad guy?" Mulan questioned.

"Because I’m not a good guy."

"You’re wrong." Mulan said simply hooking her arm through Aurora’s and started their walking again. The walked in silence as Aurora didn’t have a response to Mulan’s statement.

Aurora’s phone rang interrupting their comfortable silence and she looked down to see a text from Philip.

**"Come home. We need to talk."**

Aurora looked up to see Mulan looking at her wearing a questioning expression.

"I should head home." Aurora said with a sigh.

"Okay. I’ll walk you back." Mulan said with a smile as they started walking again.

"I know that you’re a good person. Even if you don’t… You’re a good person trapped in a bad situation." Mulan said keeping her eyes forward.

"You were forced into this. Forced to choose between…doing something bad and watching something bad happen to someone you loved….You did the best you could. But you are a good person. The way you feel is proof of that. I’d be more worried if you didn’t feel that way…But even if you don’t know it, I do. You’re not the bad guy here." Mulan said deliberately not looking at Aurora who was staring at the side of her head wondering how Mulan could be so certain when Aurora herself didn’t believe it.

As the walked down Aurora’s street, Mulan tried to think of what to say deciding that she should tell Aurora something regarding the situation with Belle, but knowing it wasn’t her secret to tell.

"Don’t blame yourself for what’s happening between Belle and Ruby…There’s more to it than everything caused by that accident." Mulan said as they reached the pathway in front of Aurora’s house.

"Goodnight." Mulan said not giving Aurora a chance to question her statement.

"Goodnight, Mulan. Thanks for…everything." Aurora replied with uncertainty. "I think" She whispered to herself as she opened the door. 

Aurora entered her house still confused only to see Philip pacing in the hall.

"I’m not sure if I want to know." Aurora said trying to lighten the mood.

"Mulan has been seen meeting with the sheriff and mayor more frequently this week." Philip said agitated.

"I’m aware. I’ve been working with Mulan. I know that. I told you that last week." Aurora said trying to understand why this would upset Philip.

"Yes, I know we know….but other people now know…It’s making people nervous. Something is going to happen soon and everyone can feel it."

"And?"

"Aurora, what is your plan?"

"Plan?"

"Stop playing dumb." Philip said aggravated. "I understand that this is sensitive for you because of your history with Mulan. And I’ve let you go at it on your own because I trust you. We’ve been partners for long enough that I trust your judgement. I do…But are you planning to do something to convince everyone else that your not undermining our work? To convince everyone, that what your doing is in fact for our best interest? And this isn’t just you trying to get back wi—"

"Of course I’m not going to do anything to jeopardize our business. How dare you accuse me of doing such a thing."

"Then, what is your plan?" Philip asked angrily stopping to stand in front of Aurora, who visibly deflated.

"I don’t have a plan, yet. But I’m working for the best interest of our kingdom. If we eliminate the competition, Storybr-"

"Storybrooke will be safer. I know. You don’t have to convince me of that. But now we have to prove it. We have to do something to send the message that we’re not just some lackey’s for the police." Philip replied his tone softening.

"I know that." Aurora replied fiercely. 

"Do you? It’s hard enough with you running around in secret meetings. And now you’re walking around town making small talk with your ex. That’s only making things worse."

"I’ll figure it out and let you know what I decide." Aurora replied in a tone that made it clear the conversation was over. She knew Philip made a good point. He was right. But the last thing she wanted to do was betray Mulan’s trust.

____________________

Mulan leaned back in her chair deep in thought. Despite all the information she had obtained since her return to Storybrooke, the revelations of the last week had been significantly more difficult for her to process. She knew there had to be more to the Belle and Ruby situation, but she had never considered that it would be…this. And on some level she understood Aurora’s guilt regarding her work and everything between them, but it seemed to run deeper than she realized. After everything they had been through, Mulan figured wading through Belle and Ruby’s relationship would help, but it seemed that it would be another bump in the road.

"Mulan, are you even listening to me?" Emma’s frustrated voice snapped Mulan out of her musings.

"What?" Mulan said without thinking. "I mean yeah, we’re all set."

"That’s not what I asked…so why don’t you tell me what’s on your mind and we can discuss so then we can get back to work." Emma said aggravated, but curious about what was distracting her friend, who was usually the one trying to keep meetings on task.

"I wish there was a simple explanation."

"Yeah that’s not vague at all." Emma replied jokingly, but with an obvious undertone of frustration. However, seeing her friend distracted, Emma’s expression softened before taking a deep breath. "You can tell me. I’m always here for you. You know that."

"I know." Mulan replied before indicating they move into Emma’s office just in case anyone was lurking around the sheriff station. A motion that told Emma that something was really bothering Mulan.

"You can’t tell anyone, not even Regina. It’s…we can’t tell anyone…" Mulan said once they settled in.

"Is this personal or work?" Emma asked worriedly.

"Both….kind of…everything is connected…especially with me and Aurora and everything." Mulan explained deciding not to tell her about Belle’s situation and focus on the information which would be relevant to Emma the sheriff.

"Yeah I know. But you’re still avoiding. You can trust me.” Emma said trying to reassure her friend who she could tell wanted to tell her, but was having difficulty saying the words.

"It’s Philip." Mulan blurted out less elegantly than she had hoped. Emma immediately stiffened wondering where this conversation was headed.

"What about him?" 

"No telling anyone. Not even Regina, okay?"

"You got it…what is it?"

"He offered to help."

"He…second in command of Aurora’s kingdom…wants to end the criminal hold on Storybrooke?" Emma said processing the statement.

"That’s my understanding."

"Okay."

"So you think we can trust him?"

"I don’t know." Emma said considering the proposition. "I mean he’s a nice guy. Always friendly. Genuine smile. Honest about almost everything…I mean the guy only seems to lie about his work." Emma said thinking of what little she knew about him.

"I don’t know what to do."

"Well, I highly doubt he would try to hurt you because well…Aurora would never….And I don’t think it can hurt to get more information, and we have to verify anything we get from Aurora so if we treat his information the same way….assuming he’s honest in his motivation…it’ll only make things faster." Emma said thinking aloud.

"Yeah…but…if Aurora is helping us, why is Philip going behind her back like this? It doesn’t make sense." Mulan wondered aloud, not mentioning his daughter which could also be a major factor in his decision making. "I don’t see how how can benefit him, he has just as much to lose as Aurora does."

"I guess we’ll just have to see this through…I mean the last thing we want is Philip going to someone else in town." 

"I didn’t even think of that." Mulan said somberly. "I guess I will have to accept his help."

"So…Philip the man seeing your ex-wife, the most powerful woman in town, wants to help us for some unknown agenda….Right before we take the next step." Emma summarized in disbelief.

"The timing is….interesting." Mulan commented before a long silence followed as they considered what to make of this situation. "I suppose we just have to move forward."

"Yeah." Emma replied with a nod before chucking. 

"How did our lives get so fucked up?" Emma replied to Mulan questioning expression.

"I have no idea." Mulan replied with a smile. "Now, where were we?"

"Preparing to take the down the lovely Queen of Hearts, the mother of the mayor, prosecutor and my wife." Emma replied dryly, eliciting a chuckle from Mulan before they settled in to continue their work.

_________________________

Aurora sat at her desk and looked up when she heard a knock at the door seeing Philip walk in.

"Ready to go?"

"Yeah" Aurora replied tiredly. "I guess." She said standing up.

"Do you know what your going to do?"

"Yes."

"Are you going to tell me?"

"No."

"But I won’t tell anyone."

"I know."

"Tell me."

"Don’t you trust me?" Aurora retorted, her tone full of warning and agitation.

"Yes, but I just want to ma—"

"I know what I’m doing Philip."

"Okay." Philip replied resigned to the fact that Aurora seemed determined to keep her plans to herself. They continued the remainder of their journey in silence.

"I trust you." Philip said softly once they entered their house before heading to their room.

Aurora went straight to her study and took out an bottle of whiskey inhaling the familiar scent of Mulan’s favorite drink as she prepared for the week to come, hoping that Mulan would forgive her and understand her actions.

___________________________________

"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me." Philip said pushing off of his car once Mulan arrived.

"What’s your endgame?" Mulan asked immediately.

"Huh?"

"Why do you want to help me? What’s in it for you?" She asked looking at Philip suspiciously.

"Straight to the point. I see why Aurora likes you." Philip replied with a smile.

"That’s not an answer."

"Is it that important?"

"Yes…It’ll help me determine whether or not I want to trust you."

"Then we’ll stay in a ‘probationary period’ until I prove my trustworthiness." Philip replied trying to keep his tone upbeat.

"I suppose." Mulan replied reluctantly accepting that Philip wouldn’t be revealing his motivation anytime soon. "What do you know?"

"Everyone’s tense. They know something is brewing, but they don’t know what. But they still don’t know about Aurora’s involvement."

"Does anyone suspect anything?"

"Some do, but at the moment, no one really believes them."

"Why?"

"Well, it’s people who don’t like us much. Everyone thinks they’re just trying to stir up trouble." Philip said with a shrug.

"And I want to keep it that way."

"Agreed. But still people are a little on edge. Have been since your arrival."

"So that’s it?" Mulan asked as everything he had said was to be expected. Philip responded with a hesitant nod.

"You clearly have nothing new to share so I’ll be on my way."  Mulan replied frustrated that Philip had little new information to give. She quickly turned and started to walk away Philip following behind her. He stopped next to his car as Mulan continued walking away.

"Mulan."

"Yeah?" Mulan said grumpily making eye contact over the top of his car.

"I know you don’t trust me…And you don’t have any reason to at the moment…But you trust Aurora…And…Well…Since Aurora and I are…we have a lot in common….maybe you can trust that." Philip said lamely as he had not made his point in the manner he wanted to.

Mulan looked at him with a confused expression trying to understand how that was supposed to convince her of anything before turning to walk away.

"Aurora and I are here for exactly the same reason." Philip called after her, causing her to stop and turn.

"The only difference…I mean…the difference between me and Aurora…well…" Philip paused to take a deep breath before looking up and making eye contact.

"My wife never woke up." Philip said his voice cracking before he got in his car and drove away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback much appreciated
> 
> Originally Posted on tumblr 8/13/2013


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sleeping Warrior AU. Aurora is a mob boss in a very corrupt Storybrooke. Mulan has returned to help take down organized crime. They have a long complicated history. Will be full of angst. AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally Posted on my tumblr 9/13/2013

Mulan stood in the doorway, watching Aurora pace around the apartment. While it was unusual for Aurora to be early, the upcoming trial seemed to bring out her punctual side.

"You’re late." Aurora said curtly upon noticing Mulan standing in the doorway looking at her with a curious expression.

"I’m right on time." Mulan replied pointing at her watch. "You’re the one who has been early all week."

"So everything is all set?" Aurora asked agitated as Mulan entered and took a seat in the newer set of chairs Aurora had acquired the previous week.

"Yes, Aurora. We’ve been over this." Mulan said carefully picking her words to keep her aggravation from seeping in. "I know you’re worried, but don’t you trust me? I’m good at my job. We’re all set. All contingencies in place. I won’t tell you the specific timeline, but Cora should be arrested along with her lieutenants within the next week."

"Good good." Aurora said quietly speaking more to herself than Mulan.

"But that’s not what you’re worried about." Mulan stated causing Aurora to stop her pacing and look up with a questioning expression.

"True." Aurora said trying to keep her nerves in check.

"You’re worried about your side of things."

"How did yo—…oh nevermind…yes that’s true." Aurora said before she started pacing again as she didn’t like keeping secrets in general and especially from Mulan.

"And you have a plan in place?" 

Aurora nodded without looking up.

"Are you going to tell me?"

"You sound like Philip."

"So he was telling the truth." Mulan whispered to herself.

Aurora stopped in her tracks and stared at Mulan.

"You’ve been talking to Philip?"

"I’ve tried talking to Philip." Mulan replied internally berating herself for speaking her thoughts aloud. "He hasn’t told me anything."

"He shouldn’t be talking to you." Aurora whispered to herself before speaking to Mulan.

"I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you. I can’t risk…others finding out my plan…and that we’re cooperating…But I promise, I won’t let Storybrooke get anymore dangerous. I meant what I said earlier, if you want to help me…getting rid of m-"

"Your competition, it’ll help." Mulan finished for her, with an unconvincing smile.

_______________________

"She’s keeping something from me and I don’t like it." 

"You and me both." Philip replied somberly. "But she thinks it’s for the best and there’s no talking her out of it."

"I know. Doesn’t mean I have to like it….You don’t think…she wouldn’t…I’m just worried…" Mulan said with a shake of her head.

"I understand your worry, Mulan. But I trust her. She’s done this before…and even if I didn’t like it…it worked."

"When did she do this before?"

"Ruby’s accident." Philip said simply.

"Oh." Mulan said thinking how that had ended. "I don’t like what that could mean."

"Me neither." Philip said looking over at Mulan debating if he should share a small piece of information. 

"What is it?" Mulan asked noticing that he looked as if he wanted to say something.

"There’s something…But…It might not mean anything….Or it could mean something…Or nothing…" Philip said shaking his head slightly. Mulan simply waited for him to continue.

"She’s been speaking with Mr. Gold more often than normal this week."

"Well, she’s probably just covering her bases. Rumors are starting and he is your lawyer after all." Mulan said in a questioning tone.

"Maybe." Philip replied clearly not believing it. "All I know is she’s walking a fine line. And the last thing she wants is to hurt you, or put her friends in anymore danger. I guarantee that once the arrests start, rumors are going to spread like wildfire and there’s no way she’s going to let it go as far as it did last time."

Mulan processed his words. And while none of this was new information, hearing someone else say it out loud made it all the more real. 

"But she is determined to get Cora out of the way." Mulan said after a lengthy silence. "And that’s good enough for me…for now."

"She definitely wants Cora gone…Cora’s gotten worse over the years." Philip said as they started making their way to his car.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight, and do let me know if you hear anything."

"Likewise."

_ (Flashback) _

_ "Do you think it’s possible?" Aurora whispered before she took another sip of wine, looking up to see Philip leaning back his chair. _

_ "You know the answer." He replied somberly. _

_ "Do you think I’m being naive?" _

_ "Hopeful. Optimistic." He said simply in an understanding tone. _

_ "I know it wouldn’t be easy." _

_ "I’m worried your not considering how dangerous it could be." _

_ "I’m aware of the risks. But if I find Mulan and we never come ba—" _

_ "What about everyone who’s still here?" Philip asked his voice displaying his genuine worry. "A lot of people are loyal…to us. And if we leave we’re putting them in danger." _

_ "But if we partner wi—" _

_ "No Aurora. I don’t think it’ll work." Philip interrupted trying to keep his tone calm. Aurora fell silent trying to find another argument. _

_ "Just think about it. Your could go take care of Dawn and be happy. And we can not be these people we don’t want to be." She said before allowing silence to engulf them. Philip took a deep breath before speaking. _

_ "It’s been a long week. If your serious about getting out, we can consider the options. For now, you can mourn your father’s death." _

_ "Is it wrong that I’m relieved more than anything else?" _

_ "It’s understandable." _

_ ___________________ _

_ "What’s this?" Aurora asked looking at the large file Philip just dropped onto her desk. _

_ "The report on Maleficent." Philip replied somberly before taking a seat across from Aurora. _

_ "Well….fuck." She said before opening the file on the newest arrival in Storybrooke. Aurora was worried about getting rid of this new danger before even attempting to leave. _

_ Philip had agreed to look into leaving Storybrooke. He considered taking over for her as he was her second in command, but before she could feel comfortable leaving she wanted to deal with this new potential danger. And the more she read the worse she felt. _

_ "Fuck." She said again as she turned the page. Looking at the pages of her work in her last town she had been driven out of by some allies of Aurora’s. _

_ "Fuck." She said again reading how cruel she had been to her enemies and the collateral damage it had caused. _

_ "Damnit." Aurora said closing the folder harshly before standing suddenly and pouring herself and Philip a drink. _

_ "We have to stop her before I can even think about leaving." She said reluctantly collapsing into her chair eliciting a nod from Philip. _

_ "I’m sorry, Aurora." He said genuinely filled with regret watching Aurora’s hopes and dreams disappear as she read the file on the new threat in town. _

_ "We’re never going to get out, are we?" She questioned resigning herself to the fact that this was her life and she may never escape. Something Philip had resigned himself to upon his return to Storybrooke and seeing Aurora go through the same feeling was hard to watch. _

_ (End Flashback) _

Aurora sat in the kitchen holding the newspaper in front of her. In big bold print the headline read:

"CORA MILLS(AND 17 ASSOCIATES) ARRESTED! IS THIS THE END FOR THE QUEEN OF HEARTS? IS STORYBROOKE ON THE VERGE OF REAL CHANGE?"

Followed by a picture of Cora Mills, who Aurora had to admit looked more crazed than the last time she had seen her. After reading the headline, she didn’t process much as she skimmed the article  which told her facts she already knew.

"So it begins." Aurora said once Philip entered the kitchen.

"It does." Philip replied hoping Aurora would reveal her plans moving forward. "When’s the trial?"

"Starts this week. We have all the paperwork set up. We figure the sooner we get to it, the less time she has to plot retaliation."

"Sounds good. Rumors have already started."

"Of course they have."

"We have to squash them."

"They’ll be gone by the time the trial ends." She said her tone leaving nothing to question, but there was a hint of regret. Philip stared as this was the most information he had gotten from her since they started their discussions.

"Glad to hear it." He said after a long silence.

"The sooner this trial ends the better." She said before they finished breakfast in silence.

____________________________

Mulan sat alone in the sheriff’s office dropping a copy of the Storybrooke Mirror onto her desk, finding that she could not focus on reading the contents of the paper. She stared at the headline that read:

"CORA MILLS CONVICTED!"

But her thoughts were distracted by the smaller headline under the fold.

“SURPRISE APPEARANCE BY MR. GOLD AT MULTIPLE HEARINGS.ARE THESE CONVICTIONS A SIGN OF CHANGE OR ANOTHER FARCE?”

"Why so glum chum?" Emma asked smiling cheerily at her friend as she entered the sheriff’s office, eliciting an eye-roll from Mulan who silently sat down across from her.

"Aw come on. Cheer up. We got her."

"She played me." Mulan said curtly. "I wanted to believe her, I can’t believe I fell for it. I helped her gain power in this damn town."

"Come on. We knew she had to have something up her sleeve." Emma said more seriously.

"What’s our next step?"

"Next step? Well we take it easy and celebratory drinks at the Rabbits Hole tonight. And we can get back to work next week."

"There’s more work to be done."

"And it’ll still be there waiting for us on Monday."

"But wh—"

"No buts about it. We’ve been working our asses off to get this far. And I know your all self loathing right now, but we took a big step forward, alright? So take it easy and Rabbit’s Hole tonight."

"Fine." Mulan said taking the file Emma handed her full of busy work to distract herself from her own disappointment. They worked productively for a few hours before Emma became agitated with Mulan’s surly mood.

"Okay, your sulking is rubbing off on me. So stop." Emma said jokingly trying to get her friend to smile.

"She played me. And I bought it." Mulan repeated her words from earlier.

"Alright, that’s it. We’re calling it a day early. I’m going to call August to come in for a bit. This is getting ridiculous." Emma said dragging a reluctant Mulan out of her chair.

They silently made their way to the diner and sat in a familiar booth.

"Hey. You guys are in at a weird time." Ruby commented as she walked over with a smile. "Are you getting lunch or dinner?"

"Lunch." Emma replied.

"Cool. The usual?" Ruby asked receiving a nod from Emma in response. "Are we still on for the Rabbit’s Hole tonight?"

"Yeah. This one needs some cheering up." Emma said pointing at Mulan who frowned at her in response.

"Why?" Ruby asked tilting her head in confusion, and received a blank stare from Mulan.

"Oh come on, not with the guilt." Ruby said her voice gentle. "So Mr. Gold mucked things up a bit. But you put away Cora and a bunch of her higher ups. Cheer up. Smile. Storybrooke is safer." Ruby said with a smile before walking away.

"She’s right you know." Emma said as Mulan shook her head.

After they finished eating in silence, Emma decided to try another tactic to get Mulan out of her current funk. They left their diner and made their way down the street towards the harbor and took a seat on the bench.

"So what do you wanna do?" Emma asked.

"Do? About what?" Mulan asked genuinely confused as to what Emma was trying to say.

"About Aurora? How do you wanna get back at that bitch for betraying your trust?"

"Don’t call her that." Mulan replied harshly.

"Okay…But what do you wanna do about that backstabbing ex of yours? I could arrest her on some trumped up charges. Not related to her work…but like public drunkenness or something?" Emma said trying to elicit some kind of reaction from her friend.

"Are you crazy?" Mulan asked not picking up on the playfulness in Emma’s eyes. "Besides, I won’t let you jeopardize your safety for the sake of petty revenge."

"Petty, huh? You’re my best friend. And she hurt you. I gotta do what I gotta do." Emma said unable to suppress her smile any longer as she was enjoying her friends confusion more than she knew she should. Mulan finally picked up on Emma’s tone and expression and relaxed releasing a half-hearted chuckle.

"There she is." Emma said with a triumphant smile. 

"Okay, so now that you’ll actually listen to me, stop beating yourself up. You know how these things work. She had to do something to prove that she wasn’t working for us. Besides they all would know the info came from someone within their organizations. And she would be the obvious suspect. She couldn’t have the underworld of our lovely town believing she was betraying them."

"I know." Mulan replied softly. "But she should have told me. Trusted me to understand. I’ve been through this before. I know how these things work."

Emma hummed in agreement thinking of Mulan’s point.

"She didn’t want to risk it."

"She should have trusted me." Mulan repeated more forcefully.

"Perhaps…but we still have something worth celebrating, don’t you think?"

"I don’t know."

"I’ll take that as a yes. Come on. Taking down Cora was a big deal." Emma said receiving a nod from Mulan in response. They spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the view. Mulan spoke very little as her mind was elsewhere, but Emma did her best to distract her sharing some lighter stories about Henry, Regina, and other random events.

Eventually, they made their way over to the Rabbit’s Hole where their friends were quick to buy them drinks to celebrate the elimination of one threat in their small town.

_ (Flashback) _

_ "What are we going to do?" Aurora said sounding defeated as she slumped at her desk, a sympathetic Philip watching with caring eyes. _

_ "I don’t know." He replied shaking his head. "I don’t know how this happened without us hearing anything about it." _

_ "Maleficent is a tricky one. And smart getting Cora and Ursula to help, without us noticing. This is dangerous." Aurora replied thoughtfully. "Either way we’ll get rid of her. Has Claude checked in yet?” _

_ "Not yet. We’re putting him at risk." _

_ "He’s loyal." _

_ "That’s not what I’m worried about." _

_ There was a knock at the door and they said for whoever it was to enter. _

_ "Junior? What’re you doing here?" _

_ "Dad thought it was safer than him coming in." He replied handing her the letter. _

_ "I knew I always liked that man." Aurora said to no one in particular. _

_ "That’s why we picked him." Philip replied with a smile. "Don’t worry kid, your dad’s good at his job." _

_ "I know." Junior replied. "But I’ll feel better once this mess is dealt with." _

_ "Agreed." Aurora said reading the letter. "You’re free to go. I’ll be sure to pass along a reply through you or our agreed upon protocol." She said absentmindedly. _

_ "Do tell Claude we appreciate his work." Philip interjected. _

_ "I will." Junior replied with a small smile before turning to leave.  _

_ "We’re never going to be able to leave." Aurora said determined not to get her hopes up again. _

_ "You never know." Philip said as optimistically as he could manage.  _

_ "It’s time to let go, Philip. We’re stuck." _

_ "At least you’re not alone. We’re in this together." Philip said gently. "And don’t give up Aurora. An opportunity may present itself. You never know." Aurora replied with a dark chuckle. _

_ "I doubt it. I don’t want to put anyone else at risk. Not because of me. Not again." She said sadly. _

_ "Very well…Let’s put an end to these rumors then. Shall we?" Aurora nodded and they got back to work to find a way to stop Maleficent’s power grab within Storybrooke. _

_ _______________________ _

_ "Cheer up boss. We stopped her."  _

_ "Not soon enough." Aurora said sadly with a shake of her head. _

_ "You’ll get rid of her. You’ll find a way. Your Dad always knew what to do. And you learned from the best."  He said with a smile. _

_ "Thank you Claude I appreciate the support." Aurora replied taking the drink he had offered. "You did a great job." _

_ "Thanks boss." _

_ "As did you, Junior." Aurora said as his son approached. _

_ "You gotta find a better nickname boss. I’m still older than you." Junior replied with a smile. _

_ "Perhaps, but Claude is already taken." She replied with a smirk motioning to his father. _

_ "Cheers." Philip said once her joined the group. "We did it. Maleficent won’t be getting any more powerful as long as we’re still around." He said with a smile. _

_ "You guys can go celebrate with the others." Philip said dismissing the father and son. Claude allowed his son to leave before pausing. _

_ "Yes, Claude?" Aurora questioned his hesitance. _

_ "I…I’m sorry for doubting you boss. The rumors…I…I don’t know why I worried about you abandoning us. But after everything…I shouldn’t have. I’m sorry." _

_ "I don’t blame you. And I know you didn’t act on your fears, and I appreciate that." _

_ "I promised your father." Claude said with a shrug and a smile before departing. _

_ "I shouldn’t have even considered it." Aurora said quietly after a long silence. "It’s all my fault." _

_ "Don’t blame yourself, Aurora." Philip said gently.  _

_ "Ruby suffered because I was a selfish idiot. If I had just accepted my fate, Belle wouldn’t…" Aurora trailed off. _

_ "It won’t happen again." Philip interrupted sternly. Aurora wasn’t sure if he was referring to Maleficent’s ability to gain power or her own attempt to leave she wasn’t sure. _

_ "Maleficent has been stopped and weakened. And you’ve established yourself as someone not to be messed with. You’ve sent a message and staked a claim to power." Philip said sternly. "It won’t be necessary again." _

_ "I hope not." Aurora replied darkly flexing her bruised knuckles. _

_ (End Flashback) _

"Drink, boss?"

Aurora snapped out of reverie before taking the glass that was offered to her.

"Thanks Junior." She said forcing a smile.

"How many times do I tell you to call me Claude? I don’t like being called Junior, plus I’m older than you." 

"Claude was your father." She said simply eliciting a chuckle from her old colleague.

"Whatever you say boss. Anyway, just wanted to say congratulations. Well done. You had us all worried there. But I knew you’d come up with something. You did good, boss." He said with a nod of the head before walking away.

"Indeed." She said to herself leaning back in her chair closing her eyes before taking a long sip of whiskey as she saw Mulan’s hurt expression.

"You have to stop this." Philip said taking in her expression. "Your feelings of guilt are both understandable and obvious. I can feel it from here." He joked trying to lighten her mood.

"I swore a long time ago to never hurt her." She said shaking her head.

"You did the best you could. And you did so in the safest way possible. You did an excellent job of keeping her safe and taking an important step to escaping this life." Philip whispered making sure no one could hear him over the music and cheer.

"I hurt her."

"And you managed to do so without lying."

"I…how did you…." Philip smiled at her speechlessness.

"I know how important it was to you to be honest…as honest as possible."

"Better you hurt her feelings than let her get hurt." Philip said softly. "Why don’t you make your speech and we can go?"

"I love you, you know that?" Aurora replied with a small smile.

"Of course. Who wouldn’t?" He replied with a chuckle helping Aurora stand and getting the attention of the crowd.

Aurora cleared her throat and welcomed the new members of her organization with some not so subtle threats weaved throughout aimed at both the new members and old ones who may consider changing their allegiance. After the applause, Aurora and Philip left leaving the other members of their group to celebrate the downfall of an enemy and deception of the authorities.

__________________________

"You’re moping again." Emma whined.

"No, I’m not." Mulan replied taking another sip of her drink.

"This is a celebration and you smiled for all of ten minutes." Emma said exasperated motioning Ruby to come over. "You try. I’ve been at this all afternoon." She continued before grabbing Regina to dance.

"Alright…You wanna tell me why Emma was so crabby?" Ruby asked cheerily.

"Not particularly."

"Geez you are grumpy." Ruby said before ordering a pair of shots.

"To the downfall of the Queen of Hearts." Ruby said with a smile before they clinked their glasses and downed them in one gulp.

"Now, don’t you feel better?"

"Sure." Mulan replied with a shrug.

"Okay. You, stop that." Ruby said grabbing her hand. "Let’s play a game shall we." Ruby said not waiting for a reply dragging her friend over to the pool table.

Ruby managed to get a couple smiles out of Mulan distracting her from her moping with a few stories from the diner and filing her in on her time with Belle, who showed up midway through the game. Mulan enjoyed their banter, happy to see them getting along or perhaps enjoying the distraction from her own busy mind.

______________________________

Philip and Aurora sat next to each other on the couch in their living room. They were enjoying a moment of privacy with their own bottle of whiskey. Philip was doing his best to cheer up Aurora with limited success.

"Is this your way out?"

"What?" Aurora replied sitting up taller suddenly feeling more alert. "What do you mean?"

"You still want to leave Storybrooke, right? Leave all this behind?" Philip said carefully making sure it didn’t sound like an accusation.

"I…I guess I’ve thought about leaving since Mulan’s return." Aurora replied slowly. "But no that’s not why I’m working with her."

"Then…why are you helping her? Or working with her?"

"Like you said. I can keep her safe this way. I can look out for her. Make sure she doesn’t step on any landmines." Aurora replied her tone was certain, but her expression confused.

"And since when have blindly accepted my advice?" Philip asked jokingly.

"I listen to you." Aurora replied lamely, but Philip’s expression showed his disbelief. "If I can keep her safe, and secure our status in town. Then it’s win-win." Aurora continued with the reasoning she had used to convince herself of this course of action.

"And how does this end if that’s the case?"

"I don’t understand."

"If you use he-"

"I’m not using her."

"If you work with her to secure our place and protect her in the process. Where does this end? How does this conclude? Eliminating everyone else, allowing us to peacefully rule Storybrooke? Mulan won’t just let that happen." Philip explained carefully.

"I don’t know."

"You still want out."

"I won’t lie to you." Aurora said.

"Do you trust me?" Philip asked after a long pause.

"With my life."

"Then, trust that I will have your back, no matter what your endgame is." Philip said maintaining eye contact. Aurora searched his face for any sign of deception and didn’t find any. After a moment, she relaxed and released a smile and a nod before leaning onto his shoulder and contemplating his words in silence for the rest of the night.

______________________________

Mulan sat staring into her glass. She had finally gotten away from Emma and Ruby’s attempts to cheer her up. She didn’t feel very cheerful, but her false smiles were clearly aggravating her friends, but she did appreciate their distractions. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned her said to see Regina taking the seat next to her at the bar.

"Did Emma tell you to come check on me?"

"Perhaps."

"It’s not necessary."

"I wanted to try my hand at cheering you up."

"I appreciate the gesture, Regina, but it’s really not necessary." Mulan said returning her gaze to her glass. Regina stared at the side of Mulan’s head as she contemplated how to phrase her argument.

"I would’ve thought someone of your experience and intelligence would know better than to assume that ‘sleeping beauty’ was intentionally trying to deceive you." 

"She did deceive me." Mulan replied not looking up.

"She did what was necessary….Why do you think she started with my mother?" Regina asked maintaining an air of genuine curiosity. 

"Easy target." Mulan answered with a shrug. 

"But she wasn’t the easiest target." Regina replied smoothly causing Mulan to turned her head wearing a confused expression. "We both know Urusla is far less powerful and would have been an easier target. Tom Riddle’s organization may be older, but is at the moment far less stable, also easier to bring down. Maleficent is her most powerful enemy, if she was truly after that, she would have started there."

"What’s your point, Regina?" Mulan asked in a tired voice, as she processed Regina’s words and she knew on some level that Regina made a good point.

"Cora Mills was her first choice….because her actions were becoming more indiscriminate…more vicious…and less…defensible even by their standards. Especially by Aurora’s." Regina said careful to keep her tone neutral. 

"You can word it any way you like, Regina. Aurora used me to eliminate her competition, to gain power and resources." Mulan replied barely able to suppress her anger as she made eye contact. A gaze Regina returned.

"First of all, you already knew you were trying to get rid of her competition and therefore increase her power. So don’t pretend otherwise. Secondly, you don’t truly believe that Aurora…sees you as some means to an end." Regina said after a brief silence.

"Don’t tell me what I believe." Mulan snapped frustrated that no one seemed to understand.

"Ready to go?" Emma said interrupting the stare off that had commenced after Mulan. Regina nodded glancing at Emma before returning her gaze to Mulan who had turned back to her drink.

Regina stood grabbing her things as Emma and Mulan said a quick goodbye.

"I know your frustrated, but before you accuse her of..using you…what would have happened if she hadn’t acted this way? If she hadn’t taken advantage of the situation presented by the downfall of Cora Mills, what could she do? Ignore your emotions and consider her options and the situation. You know how these things work, Mulan. Don’t forget everything you learned in the city just because you still care for her." Regina said softly.

"She didn’t have to lie….She could have told me what she was planning." Mulan replied without any real conviction as she made eye contact.

"Could she really have? Just think about it." Regina said gently before leaving. 

_ (Flashback) _

_ Aurora hated hospitals, and here she was again. Only this time it wasn’t to visit her wife, it was to visit her best friend. Or at least to see her. Aurora knew better than to approach Ruby. Her previous attempts to speak with her best friend ended in her being shouted at and blamed for Belle’s condition before she was asked to leave. She may have power over the hospital, but she didn’t have the energy to compete against Ruby’s demands. _

_ She had been updated on the situation and only came to visit when Philip informed her Ruby had left or fallen asleep at Belle’s bedside. She hated that she couldn’t comfort her friend, and the guilt was plain to see on her face every time she looked into the room. _

_ "What are you doing here?" an angry voice interrupted her thoughts. _

_ "Hi Emma." Aurora replied her voice monotone, her eyes not moving away from Ruby. _

_ "I thought Ruby made it clear th—" _

_ "I know." Aurora said defeated. Emma took in the barely suppressed tears in Aurora’s eyes and her expression softened. _

_ "They’re going to be alright." Emma said lamely not knowing what else to say. _

_ "No they’re not. Things will never be the same." Aurora replied. "But at least they’re safe now." She finished in a whisper. _

_ Emma looked at Aurora’s profile and wondered if she knew who was responsible. Emma had hit a dead end in her investigation, but wasn’t sure she wanted to know. So she didn’t ask. _

_ "Don’t tell her I was here." Aurora said turning to look at Emma for the first time. She looked at Emma who nodded blankly taking in Aurora’s expression.  _

_ For the first time in years, Emma felt she was really seeing Aurora. Not the image Aurora liked people to see, but the person she was underneath. The real Aurora. The one who she had been friends with before Mulan had left. And it surprised Emma to see how different and defeated this Aurora appeared. Whether or not this was simply due to the situation with Ruby, Emma wasn’t sure. _

_ Emma stared taking in Aurora’s expression and body language. She looked tired. She looked resigned. The confidence that she had always connected to Aurora wasn’t there. She lightly grabbed Aurora’s arm before she had a chance to walk away. _

_ "Yes?" Aurora said as Emma stared at her thinking of what to say. _

_ "It doesn’t have to be this way." Emma said after a lengthy silence. Aurora sighed extracting herself from Emma’s gentle grasp. _

_ "Yes, it does." Aurora said tiredly. "This is my life." _

_ "But it’s not what you want." Emma said more to herself than Aurora as the realization sunk in. _

_ "No." Aurora replied softly. _

_ "I can help." Emma said knowing she was grasping at straws. _

_ "Don’t." Aurora said forcefully not hiding the worry on her face before turning to walk away. _

_ Emma never was good at doing as she was told. She believed that if Aurora didn’t truly want to be there, then she would undermine her own work giving herself an opportunity. For the next few years, she tried to rid Storybrooke of organized crime with the reluctant aid of her wife, the mayor. She found an informant who gave her everything she needed, or at least what she thought she needed. _

_ But her informant was on Maleficent’s payroll, undermining Aurora’s power in town and boosting Maleficent’s standing, forcing Aurora to take action. Following Regina’s car accident, she realized she wasn’t being as productive as she thought she was. She need help. Help from someone who knew how to handle organized crime. And it would help if they were familiar with the small town dynamics in Storybrooke. _

_ Wondering how it had taken so long for her to see it, Emma was relieved when she realized she had finally found an excuse to convince Mulan to return to Storybrooke…and hopefully reunited with her wife. _

_ (End Flashback) _

Aurora paused outside the apartment door as she heard a loud commotion from within. Slowly, she entered the apartment staying alert.

"What are you doing?" Aurora asked in shock as Mulan stopped midway through throwing a stack of files into a large bag. Mulan looked up only briefly before continuing to pack the bag which was already half full of various papers and files.

"Stop." Aurora said walking over to Mulan and holding her arm out to prevent her from grabbing more files from the shelf. "Stop. What are you doing?" She asked her voice a mix between shock, anger, and sadness.

"Packing." 

"I can see that. Why?"

"Why?!? Really, Aurora? Do you really think we can work together after that stunt you pulled?" Mulan replied incredulously as she took a step away from Aurora. Aurora gaped looking into Mulan’s angry and hurt expression.

"I did what I had to." Aurora replied fiercely.

"What you had to? You didn’t HAVE to do anything."

"And what if I hadn’t? Did you even think of that? If I hadn’t stepped in, then someone else would have taken advantage of the situation. I did what I had to!" Aurora said loudly. Mulan visibly deflated before replying.

"You didn’t have to hide it from me." Mulan replied softly, but her expression was still angry.

"I had to." Aurora pleaded. "I needed everyone to believe that I acted without your knowledge. Even if you didn’t say it, everyone would believe that those files came from me. Everyone knows you got that information from SOMEONE from our side. I couldn’t outright deny it. And I had to spin this in my favor. Your reaction had to genuine."

"You could have told me."

"Like hell I could have."

"Believe it or not I can convince people of things that aren’t true."

"Oh, I’m well aware."

"What’s that supposed to mean?" Mulan replied catching the hint of sarcasm in Aurora’s voice.

"It means, the whole town knows exactly what you accomplished in the city. And HOW you did it."

"The whole town knows or you know and don’t like it? If this i-"

"It’s not about that." Aurora interrupted angrily.

"Then what is this about? Because we both know you could have told me. You didn’t have to lie."

"Yes. I. Did."

"No, you didn’t. I am quite good at decepti—"

"In the city maybe. But not here!" Aurora interrupted angrily.

"Not in a town where rumors spread like wildfire! Not in a town where everyone knows our history! And we’ve been seen together! Not in a small town where everything the police do is analyzed to death! And especially not in a corrupt town that knows HOW you managed to take down TWO big players in the fucking city! Anything you do that is even the slightest bit FALSE would be a huge red flag!" Aurora said angrily and out of breath. Mulan returned her glare, but as she processed her words, her expression softened and her shoulders slumped.

"I did what I HAD to. It was the best solution I could come up with." Aurora said softly to fill the silence as Mulan continued contemplating the situation.

"Don’t you understand. I did it to protect you and me and Philip and everyone in this town. Becau—"

"I don’t need you to protect me." Mulan interrupted angrily. Aurora closed her eyes in frustration, of course that’s the part Mulan zeroed in on.

"I never needed it. I didn’t need it then and I sure as hell don’t need it now. It comes down to the same thing Aurora. You should have trusted me. You don’t have to do this by yourself. We’re in this together." Mulan said angrily, but her voice remained level. Aurora stared at her wondering if she was talking about the past or the present or both. 

"You know I’m right." Mulan interpreting Aurora’s silence as agreement.

"No. I know that I couldn’t have told you the truth. Not now. And sure as hell not then either. I know if given the choice to do everything over, I would do the same exact thing.” Aurora said taking in Mulan’s confused expression. 

"Yeah, I have my doubts. And my guilt. And that will never change. When I think about it, truly think about it. Yeah I would have done the same exact thing." Aurora said forcefully in response to Mulan’s unspoken question. 

"Because I know you." Aurora finished.

"What’s that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you wouldn’t sit back and let it go. You would do something. Even at the expense of your own safety. That’s who you are. You’re a fighter.  A warrior. You live by honoring your own sense of right and wrong. And you fight for what’s right. You would never sit back and let it be. And that’s part of why I fell in love with you. But no I couldn’t have told you. You would have acted immediately. Without thinking of all the consequences. Because that’s who YOU are.” Aurora said her frustration seeping into her tone. She paused to calm herself as she watched Mulan think about her words. After a long silence, Aurora looked up to see Mulan staring off into space.

"If you change your mind…you know where to find me." Aurora said softly. She made eye contact with Mulan and truly wondered if this would be the end of their tenuous work partnership. Aurora smiled sadly as she left the apartment.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback much appreciated


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on my tumblr 1/21/2014

Mulan walked up to the car and sat hopped onto the hood of the car overlooking the harbor.

"How did today go?"

"Same as it’s been." Mulan said discouraged. "We work…but it’s…uh… not going very smoothly."

"Aurora says the same." Philip replied with a nod.

"And you?"

"No, sorry I haven’t made any progress." He said with a shake of the head. "Why are you so determined to ge-"

"I need to accomplish SOMETHING productive. It’s been far too long of…this." Mulan said grumpily with a wave of her hand. It had been a long two months. She had been working slowly with Aurora, but between the underlying emotions and her mild distrust, looking into Tom Riddle’s organization had gone far more slowly than their work on Cora.

"I’ve done my best, but Mr. Gold really values that property." Philip said after a long silence. "You do know Aurora has tried speaking with Mr. Gold. She’s offered far more money than it’s worth, but he won’t let it go for some reason."

"I assumed she would have tried…after all Ruby is one of her closest friends…when did she try?"

"Which time?"

"She tried more than once?"

"Don’t sound so surprised. Always this time of year." Philip replied wondering why Mulan sounded so surprised. "Ruby means a lot to her. She did manage to keep him from jacking up her rent…ever. But he won’t release the property."

"Okay…Well, I figured it wouldn’t work…I have an idea for a solution."

"And…?"

"What?"

"What is your idea? Mulan…don’t do anything…brash. I know it’s frustrating but…It will get better."

"And this…this will accomplish that." Mulan said weakly. She knew it was a long shot, but something was better than nothing and she needed to get out of her current funk.

"Aurora won’t like it."

"You don’t even know what IT is."

"I know Mr. Gold won’t charge a reasonable price…and we both know I don’t mean money." Philip said seriously. "And Aurora won’t accept any action that puts you in more danger." He stared at the side of her head trying to decipher her expression, but found himself at a loss. 

"I know what I’m doing." Mulan replied before changing the subject. "And what about the end? Our ide-“

"It won’t work…Mr. Gold far too powerful and determined and smart. It could very easily backfire. Too easily." Philip finished his meaning clear, if they wanted to find a way to get Aurora out without throwing her in prison where her and her father’s many enemies were…Mr. Gold taking the fall was not the solution.

"Well, I guess we’ll just have to keep thinking."

"Yes…until next week." Philip said with a nod. 

"Goodnight, Philip."

"Mulan."

"Yes?"

"I’m trying my best not to interfere, but —"

"Then, perhaps you should keep it to yourself."

"I know….I know it is difficult right now. But it you two need to talk. You’re both unhappy with the current arrangement…." Philip said as Mulan waited to see where he was going.

"Just…be careful. I would hate to see this go wrong. You’ve both been through so much. You deserve some happiness. Just…be careful." 

Mulan thought about his words on her walk home. He was right. Aurora was unhappy. Mulan wanted nothing more than to fix it, but her own emotions got in the way. But she had always had difficulty articulating her feelings. Mulan nodded as she turned the key to her room. She was always better at making the right choices in her actions, so it was time for her to act. And now was a good a time as any.

_ (Flashback) _

_ Shortly after moving into the city, Mulan had the honor of “celebrating” the one year anniversary of her attack. Not the most pleasant day to be sure, but a day she would always remember. Unfortunately, it was almost 2 weeks, 11 days to be exact, before the anniversary of her injury which was within 3 months of her official discharge due to a much more severe wound. These 4 months were tough enough before the catalyst of the end of her marriage. _

_ Her move had not gone as smoothly as she would have liked. Graham had helped her find work with the police, but her reputation it seemed was an issue. Not her reputation as a veteran who served with honor and honorably discharged. Not as a cop from a small town. Not as a soldier from a long respected military family. Nope, her wife, a suspected mob boss in small town organized crime held her back for the first time in her life…ex-wife, she reminded herself.  _

_ "Do you think they’ll ever trust me?" Mulan queried seeing someone sit down next to her out of the corner of her eye. _

_ "Give them time." Graham replied as he ordered her another round. Mulan sighed and slouched. _

_ "To one year." Mulan said raising her glass. She turned to see Graham’s questioning look. "I survived…It was…a difficult year. But I can finally walk on my own. I managed to move and find work. Granted not the most ideal situation, but..it’s something." _

_ Graham made a noise that could of been one of encouragement. _

_ "What?" Mulan questioned. _

_ "Since when have you been an optimist?" Graham asked with a smirk. _

_ "I blame Belle." Mulan mumbled. It was true, since her attack she had spoken to Belle more often as Ruby was too close to Aurora to truly be her confidant. They continued their evening reminiscing their time together working in Storybrooke and Mulan catching him up on the gossip back home. While Graham told many tales of his time in the city, limiting his exaggerations.  _

_ Mulan and Graham returned to his apartment, where Mulan had been staying until the end of the month before she could move into her own studio. They had fallen into a comfortable drunken silence. _

_ "You should say yes." Graham said seriously. Mulan made a face of concentration as she was trying to determine what he was referring to. Once she understood, her expression and body language quickly shifted to one of disbelief and anger. _

_ "I can’t do that. That goes against…everything! Who I am, the very reason I came here, to get away from that." _

_ "Really? Is that why you insisted working with me in the organized crime unit?" Graham asked before continuing when Mulan started pulling away. "Look, we both know why your really here. And it’s not to get away. But with your history, it’s never going to happen the way you want. Say yes, accept the offer, and you can help, Mulan." _

_ Mulan continued staring at Graham as if he had grown another head. Graham got up before speaking. _

_ "We’ll talk about this in the morning. But remember, you survived. That’s something worth celebrating. And you’re a warrior, and I doubt you’d be content earning these guys trust by doing paperwork. These guys…they  respect actions…Either way it’ll take time…but…would you prefer doing paperwork or being out there? Just think about it…Goodnight Mulan." _

(End Flashback)

Mr. Gold looked up when he heard the bell above his door ring.

"Mulan." He greeted with a smile. "What can I do for you today? Is this in regards to your work? Is your ex-wife no longer…satisfying you?"

"Granny’s." Mulan said her expression determined, ignoring his attempt to get a rise out of her.

"Ah, yes it is a rather popular establishment, is it not? First Granny, then Ruby. Aurora. Regina, on behalf of Emma of course. Philip. Now you…I think I’d rather hold onto such…a valuable asset."

"Yes, but I thought I’d make an offer…One that…you would hate to turn down."

"Oh?"

"First, your going to stay far, far away from Belle."

"Now, why would I do that?" He replied with his trademark smile. "After all, we are…very close."

"No…you’d like to believe that…or at least you don’t like being rejected. She pitied you and feared you but couldn’t go bear to take it beyond one date. Let it go."

"I don’t understand how this is related to Granny’s."

Mulan rolled her eyes and sighed moving forward.

"A trade." Mulan said tossing some paperwork on the table.

"No." Mr. Gold replied curtly not looking at the paper.

"I think you’d find it more than satisfactory."

"That I doubt. I do have very high standards."

"Want to know a secret?" Mulan said leaning forward, before continuing never breaking eye contact. "I was very successful working under Shan-Yu and I learned a great deal."

"That’s not a secret."

"I’m sure you’re aware people with obvious disabilities are treated rather differently. And me..I’m a veteran on top of that as well. And you…well you have a nasty habit of getting under people’s skin. Don’t you?"

"And what is your point?"

"Well, no one else could…get in a scrap with you. It wouldn’t be acceptable…but me? Well…I’m equally disabled…by their standards at least."

"Is that a threat?"

"No…I’m merely speaking of reputation…and possibilities."

Mr. Gold nodded and silently picked up the paper as Mulan backed away from the counter and wandered around the shop. She glanced over and saw Mr. Gold deep in thought for awhile before grabbing a pen.

"You know a house for an inn and diner, even if they are the same property doesn’t seem to be a valid trade. IF I agree to this arrangement, we won’t be quite even." He said with a smile. "You would ow-"

"I wouldn’t owe you shit." Mulan retorted walking purposefully back to the counter. She leaned forward and looked him in the eye as she continued speaking. "Let’s get one thing straight Gold. I’m doing you a favor. Also, this is far less painful and takes up far less of my time than the alternative."

"Alternative?"

"Yes…I have found evidence, proof, undeniable hard copy paperwork, evidence that proves you obtained that property illegally in the first place. So let’s get one thing straight, this is me doing YOU a favor. DO you know how much time and effort it would take out of MY life fighting you on this? Only for you to LOSE and then to see Ruby get the inn and diner anyway because she would have loads of support during the auction? So no Gold, I don’t owe you anything by making this offer. You agree to this and that’s it. No favors. No hidden prices. No changes to the paperwork. Either you sign, or I hand in my paperwork to the court in the morning." Mulan finished strongly holding her breath waiting to see if Mr. Gold bought her bluff.

While she had strongly suspected he had obtained the property illegally, her efforts with Regina and Philip had come up empty. But there was something odd about the paperwork in the first place that was worth digging into.

Mr. Gold spent a minute processing her words before moving to sign the paperwork.

"Very well. We have an agreement." He said his anger obvious. "It’s been a pleasure doing business with you." He bit out.

"So we’re in agreement. You’re going to stay far away from Belle and a simple trade of properties."

"I suppose that is the agreement." Mr. Gold said slowly barely hiding his anger at the situation and thinking of a solution.

"Oh, and one more thing." Mulan added leaning back with a smile pulling out some more paperwork.

"I had the tenants sign some new paperwork which would protect them in the long run in case the property changed hands. I’m sure you remember Roger and Anita? Nice couple. And their dogs are pretty cute too. Anyway, we solidified the agreement so there will be no fucking them over, okay Mr. Gold? I’m sure you’ll read all about it. Though I do say that Peter Pan is an excellent lawyer and I’m so glad he’s my friend." Mulan said cheerily putting the paper on the counter enjoying Mr. Gold’s furious expression more than she should.

"Have a great day. And it has been a pleasure doing business with you." Mulan finished with a wide smile before turning to walk away, as Mr. Gold started screaming at her back.

"YOU THINK YOU’RE SO CLEVER? YOU WON’T GET AWAY WITH THIS! NOBODY MAKES A FOOL OF ME! NO ONE! YOU HAVEN’T HEARD THE LAST OF THIS! YOU MARK MY WO—" He stopped mid-sentence as Aurora entered taking in his anger and Mulan’s smirk.

"Hello Aurora. How are you?"

"I’m doing well." Aurora replied hesitantly. "You?"

"I’m enjoying the weekend. I’ll see you Monday." Mulan said walking by her.

"Bye." Aurora said somewhere between a statement and a question before looking at Mr. Gold and wondering slightly worried as to why he was so angry at Mulan.

_ (Flashback) _

_ "I can’t do it." Mulan said as soon as Graham sat down across from her desk. "It’s…It’s not what I came here to do. I came to do good. This isn’t it." _

_ "I understand." Graham said with a nod. _

_ "Graham. Mulan. My office. Now…please." The captain called them into his office. Mulan looked over at Graham wondering if this was about what had happened the previous week. _

_ "Have you told her?" Robin Hood asked Graham, who nodded in response. _

_ "I’m sitting right here." Mulan said curtly. _

_ "Alright, so Mulan, you know what we would like you to do?" _

_ "He failed to mention you requested me to do so." She said looking over at Graham who shifted uncomfortably in his seat. _

_ "Ah, okay. Well, we feel that given yo—" _

_ "My reputation makes it easy for me to enter the Huns organization especially since I have already been approached. Yes, but I don’t know what you think I can do. I have no undercover experience." _

_ "True, but you have years of experience walking that line right outside of criminal organizations and you would be a huge asset." _

_ "You can do it." Graham said reassuringly. _

_ "I don’t know…I barely have anyone’s trust here. Won’t everyone believe I’ve decided to just join them?" _

_ "That’s the point." Robin responded. "You’re a cop at heart. Despite Storybrooke’s…less than stellar reputation. We know it, but generally speaking the people who hold government positions there are good. So Graham vouches for you as does…" He paused looking at a file "…Emma Swan and Regina Mills the sheriff and Mayor of Storybrooke, respectively. You worked with them, right?" He said before continuing not waiting for a response. _

_ "Your military record is also quite impressive. Multiple commendations and returning after being wounded. Few can boast the same accomplishments. Your record speaks for itself, Mulan. You’re clearly intelligent, clever, resourceful, determined…and you have a good heart." He finished putting the file back down. _

_ "I don’t like the idea of…working for them." Mulan replied feeling uneasy, but understanding his points. _

_ "It is…difficult… but I believe you can do it. You had to make some difficult decisions. And you made them." _

_ "But none of them required me to…what do these guys do? Blackmail? Threaten? Hell murder? I can’t do THAT." _

_ "And you may not have to." Graham interceded. "Look, I’ve been following these guys for awhile. And Shan-Yu has his own messed up sense of honor. As long as you don’t betray him, and you say no by citing your own desire to do right. It’s about loyalty to him. He won’t kill if you leave. But you don’t betray them. I think you can do it….Besides, he wouldn’t ask a newbie to kill. That’s not even part of their initiation." Graham finished trying to lighten the mood. _

_ "I…I don’t think…" Mulan started before trailing off still in doubt. _

_ "Think about it." Robin said before sitting back down and opening a different folder. "You can go." He said dismissing the pair without looking up. _

_ A week later Mulan found herself meeting Shan-yu who was welcoming her to the organization, his smile sending shivers down her spine. Graham’s words ringing in her ears, “You’re no coward. You didn’t come here to run away from your problems. And we both know it.” _

(END FLASHBACK)

 

"Hey Mulan. What can I do for you?" Ruby said with a smile as Mulan entered the diner and made her way over to the counter.

"What’s this?" She asked with a tilt of her head as a smiling Mulan silently slid an envelope over to her.

"A gift." Mulan said grinning, seeing Aurora out of the corner of her eye. 

"Is it something I should open in private?" Ruby asked half jokingly with a raised eyebrow. 

"Just…open it." Mulan replied with a chuckle.

Ruby glanced over at Belle who looked equally confused. With a shrug, Ruby warily opened the envelope and her reaction was exactly was Mulan wanted.

"I…how…Mulan…this is…" Ruby stuttered staring at the piece of paper wide eyed.

"A thank you is all I need." Mulan said wearing a huge smile.

"I…" Ruby continued stuttering. "Mulan…this…this is…" Ruby trailed off not knowing what else to say walked around the counter to stand next to Mulan. "Is this for real?"

Mulan nodded and not a half second later she found herself in a crushing hug from Ruby who was practically shouting her thanks.

"What is it?" Belle piped up intrigued by what was going on as she picked up the paper Ruby had left on the counter. 

"You’re welcome." Mulan said squirming out of Ruby’s hug and Ruby reluctantly let go and backed up her smile never leaving her face.

"Mulan…this is incredible." Belle said quietly looking at her questioningly.

"Amazing….incredible…I don’t even know if there’s anything I can say…or do to say thanks." Ruby rambled smiling widely. "Mulan this is the most…incredible…I can’t even say thank you enough. OH…you came for food right?"

Mulan hesitantly nodded.

"Okay, sit. I’ll whip something up. NO CHARGE!" Ruby said the smile never leaving her face as she ran behind the counter.

Mulan moved towards Aurora’s booth. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Belle looking equally happy giving Ruby a big hug before gesturing towards the library. Ruby ran into the kitchen before Belle stopped Mulan who was a step away from the counter.

"Is this because of…me?" Belle whispered, but continued before not waiting for a reply. "We’ll talk about this later. But…thank you. Ruby…Ruby has deserved this for a long…long time."

Mulan nodded in understanding as she watched Belle happily head back to the library before taking a seat.

"Hard at work?" 

"What?…oh…uh…yeah something like that" Aurora replied feigning surprise as if she hadn’t been intently watching the scene play out. She  closed the small folder that she had been staring at, but not reading since Mulan had entered the diner. They sat staring at each other for a couple minutes before Ruby came by and put some food down on the table.

"Uh…I didn—"

"This isn—" Aurora and Mulan said simultaneously both stopping mid sentence when they realized the other was speaking. Ruby barely suppressed her laugh.

"I know. But Mulan never has to pay for food again." Ruby said with a shake of her head before walking away not waiting for a reply leaving them to their awkward silence.

"So…I have you ask" Aurora started.

"You want to know how I got the deed from Gold." Mulan finished her sentence.

"Well…yeah…and why? Or at least why now?" Aurora finished weakly. "I mean you don’t owe me any explanations, but it does seem out of nowhere. I mean you’ve been back for awhile now and you had plenty of time to work this out before your boss yelled at you to get back to work which forced us back to work. But I know that Gold wouldn’t give up Granny’s, but I have no idea why and no offence you don’t have nearly as much financial power as I do and I did make him an offer that w-"

"Aurora." Mulan said with a smile cutting off Aurora’s rambling. "Eat."

Aurora stared at Mulan confused.

"I promise to explain everything, tomorrow, at work." Mulan said before taking a bite of the burger Ruby had brought out.

"Promise?" Aurora asked and started eating when Mulan nodded. 

They continued their meal making awkward small talk throughout their meal. Aurora speaking mostly about her and Ruby mending their relationship which Mulan was happy to hear that their feelings were mutual. Mulan, on the other hand, spoke agitated regarding Emma and Graham as they had clearly been pestering Mulan and ensuring she was okay this time of year. Aurora barely suppressed her laughs at Mulan’s agitation.

After Aurora left, Mulan moved to take a seat at the counter to speak to Ruby properly. Only after Ruby had handed out a slice of every pie they had available her curiosity got the better of her.

"So…are you going to tell me or do I have to ask?" Ruby said still unable to remove the smile from her face.

"Do you really want to know?" Mulan retorted playfully.

"Mulan." Ruby replied simultaneously eliciting a grin from Mulan.

"Well, it would help if I knew exactly what you wanted to know."

"Okay…first of all why…second of all how." Ruby said playfully but an undertone of pleading, a bit worried about how Mulan managed to wrangle the deed to Granny’s diner and inn from Mr. Gold.

"Well…the why should be obvious." Mulan began taking another large bite of pie. Upon seeing Ruby’s expression, she continued.

"It’s my way of saying thanks." She said stiffly. "I know I’m not the best at saying these things…but…I know you were looking out for me. And thanks for…everything. Being my friend. Being there. Being supportive….all that crap." She finished lamely.

"As for the how…don’t you worry. I can assure you he will not be bothering you again. I have seen to it. And don’t worry, I don’t owe him any favors. That’s all you need you know." Mulan finished with a smile.

Ruby smiled in understanding. While she still wanted to ask more, she knew it would take more prodding to get her friend to reveal the whole truth. But she was very grateful for the gesture. She placed her hand over Mulan’s and gave it a squeeze.

"Thank you. This means…more than I could ever say….And I know there’s more to it." She said pointedly. "But for now, I don’t care what the reason is. Thank you. This is truly an amazing gift.I don’t know how I could ever repay you."

"Your welcome. And don’t worry…you don’t owe me a thing. " Mulan said honestly with a smile. There was an extended pause in which Ruby was waiting for an explanation Mulan saw no reason to give.

_ (FLashback) _

_ Mulan stood in the doorway eavesdropping on Graham as he picked up his phone in her living room. _

_ "Hi Emma…Yes, I know…She’s fine…I know…No don’t….Hi Ruby…Yes I already told Emma, she’s fine. I know…I…can’t you guys just…" Graham sounded frazzled, but Mulan couldn’t help but feel comforted knowing her friends back home stilled cared despite her cold attitude towards them in an attempt to keep them safe. She smiled as she continued listening. _

_ "…Hi Belle…yes, of course…yes I’m watching her back…I promise…I know. Yes I’m with her right now…I promise…No that’s not…Hi again Emma…Yup…okay… yes…yes…I promise…no I haven’t…bye." Graham said putting his phone down as soon as Mulan decided to save her friend from anymore onslaught of concern from her friends. _

_ "Ready to go?" _

_ "Always." Mulan replied as he opened the door. _

_ "Are you sure it’s safe?" Mulan asked, knowing the truth, but forever worried.  _

_ "Yup…we’re old friends. It’s perfectly reasonable for you to be seen with me despite me being a cop." Graham reassured her as they headed toward Graham’s favorite bar, The Wolf’s Den. They conversed mostly about recent news items making hints to important facts. Over the previous two years, they had developed a secret language of sorts to discuss work when in public just to be safe, and as far as anyone knew, Mulan was working for the Huns and just happened to be friends with a cop.  _

_ Once they entered the bar and reached their booth, they were able to speak openly as the bar was owned by a friend who knew of the situation and the booth had been outfitted to protect against any potential eavesdropping or listening devices. It had been a safeguard as they didn’t want it to seem that they only met at one individual location or only in private residences. They had a few places where such precautions were in place allowing them to maintain the illusion that Mulan was sincerely working for Shan-Yu. _

_ As much as Mulan hated talking about her success in her work, this day it was a welcome distraction. _

_ "So I hear you’ve been promoted." _

_ "Well there aren’t really titles, but yes, it seems I have been given more responsibilities." Mulan replied glumly. _

_ "That’s excellent." Graham replied with a smile. "You’ve been accepted far quicker than we expected." _

_ "I know." _

_ "You don’t sound very happy." _

_ "It’s not exactly something to be proud of. Being accepted by a bunch of murdering criminals isn’t exactly something I value." _

_ "Have you been forced to do anything you haven’t wanted to?" _

_ "I never  _ **_wanted_ ** _ to be this person.” Mulan replied avoiding eye contact. _

_ "You’re just following orders." _

_ "That doesn’t make it okay." _

_ "Mulan, look at me." Graham said pausing for an extended moment until Mulan made eye contact. _

_ "Have you killed anyone?" _

_ "No" _

_ "Have you attacked anyone?" _

_ "No." _

_ "Have you harmed anyone innocent?" _

_ "Yes…well…not  _ **_innocent_ ** _ but did not deserve my actions” Mulan replied after an elongated pause, her jaw working in annoyance as she knew what Graham was trying to do, and it never worked. For his part, Graham rolled his eyes and raised an eyebrow. _

_ "Someone truly innocent? Like a child?" Graham asked exasperated. _

_ "Of course not…They may have done wrong, but that does not make my actions right." _

_ "Someone who has never done anything wrong ever?" _

_ "That does not make my actions right." Mulan bit out angrily. _

_ "They were thieves, murderers, blackmailers and rapists." _

_ "But that does not give me the right to attack them when they are unarmed." _

_ "They weren’t unarmed." _

_ "I should have stopped the second they were." _

_ "If it wasn’t you it would have been someone else. Who would have done them worse harm." _

_ "I don’t like it." _

_ "But you do it. And you have earn even more of his respect every time you…restrain yourself and refuse to do his bidding on such matters." _

_ "I do not care for his respect." _

_ "At least it’s not making him suspicious." _

_ "At least you did your research before throwing me in there." _

_ "Of course I did. Aurora would never forgive me if I let anything happen to you. Nor would the rest of Storybrooke I imagine." _

_ Somehow of all things that elicited a chuckle from Mulan. As she never thought of herself as well liked, but her friends constant attempts to contact her and Grahams repeated requests to get her to reply to them so they would stop bothering him comforted her more than she had ever imagined they would. They sat in silence for a couple minutes as Mulan remembered happier times with her friends from home. _

_ "You’re doing good work, Mulan. We’re closer than we have ever been." Graham said still feeling the need to cheer Mulan up. It was taking more pep talks as time went on, as Mulan’s sense of morality had been making her feel guiltier as they moved forward and she moved up. _

_ "That doesn’t mean much." _

_ "It’s better than nothing." _

_ "That it is…How close are you?” Mulan asked, not surprising Graham as she often checked in to make sure her efforts were moving towards their end goal. _

_ "We have the evidence…but we’re still not comfortable be—" _

_ "Because it doesn’t help just to take them down. I know. It has to be done right. Kill the beast. Not just wound it. I know." _

_ "You won’t be doing this forever. I promise." Graham said before raising his glass. "To your survival." _

_ "To being alive." Mulan replied accepting the change of subject. _

_ "And safe." _

_ "Yes…safe." Mulan replied thinking it was relative term seeing as one wrong move could easily end with her own brutal murder. _

_ (END FLASHBACK) _

Aurora and Mulan were working in silence, much as they had been for the past month. It took a month of avoiding her work and contemplating her options before Mulan received a phone call from her boss ordering her to continue her investigation or return to the city and assigned desk duty based on what had happened before her departure. She had a sneaking suspicion Emma had ratted her out, but she had yet to figure it out for sure. 

But it was true that she had a long way to go before reaching the ultimate endgame of a Storybrooke without corruption and Aurora safely away from the dangerous underground.

Mulan looked up and stared as Aurora continued loudly tapping her pen clearly distracted from her work. With a sigh, Mulan closed the file she had been reading about Tom Riddle’s finances and prepared herself to speak. Aurora started speaking as soon as Mulan lifted her eyes.

"Why…why would you make any sort of deal with Mr Gold? And how on earth did you get him to relinquish his claim on Granny’s?" Aurora blurted out her voice and expression filled with worry. "I mean…don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled. I’ve wanted to get the property to Ruby for a long time…but why now? And how did you manage it?"

"Well…when we weren’t working…I couldn’t just do nothing…I was distracting myself with other issues. So I was thinking of how I could…make up for leaving like I did. Not being here…It was selfish." Mulan began. "And Ruby and Belle…well…some of my closest friends…and…they’re the ones who needed the most help." 

"And?"

"And…what?" Mulan replied cheekily.

"Don’t do that." Aurora said grumpily barely able to keep herself from whining.

"Why not? You make it too easy." Mulan replied with a smile.

"Mulan!"

"Aurora."

"Just answer the question."

"I thought I had."

"You didn’t answer the question I wanted you to answer. It’s no secret why you would do it. It’s obvious to anyone who’s known you…or anything about…life!" Aurora said having difficulty articulating herself.

"That..doesn’t make sense…" Mulan replied receiving a glare in return. "All you need to know is that I owe Mr. Gold nothing. And Ruby has Granny’s Inn and Diner all to herself." Mulan explained.

"Nothing? No favors? You met his price?"

Mulan nodded.

"And he met mine." Mulan finished before returning to her reading as she felt Aurora staring at her wondering what in the hell she was talking about.

_ (FLashback) _

_ "Stop calling. It’s not safe." Mulan said gruffly before hanging up her phone not waiting for Graham’s reply. She knew she was being harsh, but they knew something like this might happen. _

_ Last she heard from Graham, they(being the prosecutors) were planning on moving forward with multiple indictments. And doing so could only be kept secret for so long. From her end, there were rumors running rampant. _

_ Everyone  _ **_knew_ ** _ something was up.  _ **_Something_ ** _ was going to happen soon and it wasn’t going to be pretty. And with everyone being suspected within the organization, Mulan knew she couldn’t attract any attention to it, and Graham’s excessive worried phone calls could make things worse. But she knew the timing was shit, as it was of course the anniversary of her survival, as she had come to call it…thanks to Graham of course. _

_ In her mind, it was still the day that fucked up her whole life. But today she needed a drink, as usual. And a drink on her own, without Graham, would be difficult and he would worry. But she shot him a text saying she was alright and she just needed sometime on her own. His simple response made it clear he would accept her actions, if only begrudgingly because if he pushed too much he knew he would put her in more danger. _

_ But there was the problem of where to go. Mulan didn’t want to go somewhere she would be recognized. And anywhere familiar would probably end with someone giving Graham a call and of course he would “happen” to stop by. But other places…well her reputation preceded her and she did not enjoy being feared. Did not like it one bit. Ultimately, she decided on a relatively new place. While it was within the Huns territory, she was not the one to collect their “rent,” nor would she be easily identified, as far as she knew. _

_ Mulan glanced up as she approached the entrance and rolled her eyes at the gaudy light display above the entrance, it certainly caught the eye, but she suspected they had intended it to be less an eye sore than it turned out to be with the awkward moving jaw and glowing eyes of the tiger head.  _

_ "I wonder how long they’re going to last." She muttered to herself as this was the fourth new tenant at this location since she started working. She walked straight towards the bar ignoring the hostess’s greeting, "Welcome to Agrabah!" She heads straight towards the bar and takes a seat on an empty stool near a mirror so she can see the crowd behind her. She orders a drink from the nervous looking bartender. _

_ Mulan’s phone started ringing and she pulled it out and decided to go ahead and answer it to ease Emma’s and everyone’s worries. She answers in one word responses, which eased Emma’s worries not at all. But Mulan knows she’s doing the right thing keeping her friends safe, out of the fire. _

_ "Mulan?" Mulan hear’s a familiar voice say from behind her. After turning her head, she hangs up her phone suddenly staring at the familiar figure. _

_ "Jasmine?" _

_ "I…it’s you?" Jasmine replied surprised as she looked over at the bartender who was nervously standing in the doorway who nodded his head saying that yes this was the “warrior” he had come to tell her about. _

_ "Yeah….me." Mulan replied half questioningly. _

_ "I…my bartender came panicked saying Shan-Yu’s ‘favorite warrior’ had stopped by unexpectedly…and….well…I…it’s you?" Jasmine said her shock inhibiting her ability to process this information.  _

_ "Oh, that." Mulan replied unable to keep herself from saying it aloud. Somehow jolting Jasmine out of her shock leading to a smile slowly forming. _

_ "It’s great to see you." She said in a low calm sincere voice, as she took a seat on the stool next to Mulan, who could only grimace in response. Running into an ex…wasn’t very high on her things of "great" list. _

_ "I was hoping to have a quiet night. I wasn’t expecting…or at least I didn’t want to run into anyone I knew." Mulan said honestly, keeping her tone flat. Jasmine stared at her with questioning eyes, but silently nodded in understanding as she thought of what the right course of action was. _

_ "I…understand this is a difficult time for you." Jasmine said carefully not wanting to upset Mulan, who turned her head to stare at her questioning, though her emotions well hidden. _

_ "Here." Jasmine finished holding out a card for one of the private tables. "It’s out of the way. No one will bother you…not even waitress unless you press a button." Jasmine explained with a tight smile. _

_ "I know…you like to be alone when times are difficult." Jasmine said slowly walking away. She stopped to speak to the bartender who ran off to arrange something for her. Mulan watched her leave before sliding off the stool deciding if she was being recognized she might as well accept the offer. _

_ Mulan went down the stairs and approached the hostess who looked nervous upon seeing her. Silently she held out the card and her hostess nodded and lead her to a round table and she slid into the booth and smiled at the bottles on the table, with the note. “I know it’s been awhile, but I also know how little you like change. Enjoy. -Jasmine” _

_ Mulan sat down and opened the first bottle pouring herself a drink as she watched the crowd. The lower floor it seemed was for richer VIP’s. Some close friends of the owners and some who paid for the nicer drinks offered and the less crowded area than the upper floors with the cheap drinks and dance floors. _

_ After some time, Jasmine stopped by and slide right in next to Mulan silently. She had brought her own glass and poured herself a drink. They sat in silence before Mulan spoke, now less tense after a couple drinks. _

_ "I thought you said I wouldn’t be bothered." _

_ "Since when am I a bother?" Jasmine replied jokingly, trying to hide her inner turmoil. _

_ "Never." Mulan replied with a smirk. _

_ "That’s what I thought." _

_ They made small talk during the night, mostly catching up on what they had been up to since they last saw each other. Jasmine had come and gone a couple of times tending to business as she and Aladdin were a good pair in business. Mulan enjoyed the few moments alone to process what was happening as well as the distraction Jasmine had provided. _

_ "Mulan." Jasmine had said after a moment of silence had settled. _

_ "Jasmine." Mulan smirked in reply, being a bit drunk. _

_ "I know I wasn’t very supportive of your move to the middle of goddamn nowhere, but….I did want you to be happy. Wherever that was." Jasmine started looking at Mulan who’s expression had moved to one of confusion. _

_ "Feel free to tell me I’m out of line and have no right to say this…but… I know i didn’t make it obvious…and I am sorry about what I did…but I was a stupid kid…That’s not the point…anyway…You deserve happiness Mulan. And if I know anything…this life your living here…this isn’t your happy ending." Jasmine rambled trying to make her point while apologizing for her actions all those years ago. _

_ "Because this…this isn’t you. And I hope…you find your happy ending. Because you do deserve one Mulan. Despite what your father says…you’re a good daughter, a great friend…you’re a good person. " Jasmine said giving Mulan a quick peck on the cheek before leaving. _

_ "Oh and Jasmine." _

_ "Yes?" She stopped glancing over her shoulder. _

_ "Some friendly advice? Drop the giant tiger head outside. The aesthetics and theme are fine on their own." Jasmine turned to look at her for a moment deep in thought. She took a couple steps forward and pulled out a pen. _

_ "I’ll think about it." Jasmine said as she slid a paper she had written over to Mulan. _

_ "As will I." Mulan said with a nod. She looked down and saw a note to go along with her number. "If you ever want to talk. -Jasmine." _

_ It took her two weeks to call, but Mulan eventually found a friend in her ex. Jasmine became a confidant of sorts, as she was also navigating the muddy waters of the criminal underground of the city. More importantly, she was someone Mulan could talk to without the sympathy, the guilt, the people who missed her back home. There was an understanding there, which was something Mulan needed more than she realized. _

_ But that fell apart when Mulan’s dad got sick…and eventually passed away. _

END FLASHBACK

"Fine." Aurora said as she walked into their makeshift office a few days later.

"Fine…what?" Mulan said looking up still completely confused.

"I accept that Mr. Gold somehow agreed to exchange Granny’s for our house." Aurora said as Mulan quickly overcame her surprise that Aurora had figure it out. But really she should have known Aurora would look into it and she had to interact with Mr Gold for her own reasons anyway.

"…Which you could have told me in the first place. I don’t know how you managed it. But I do trust that you didn’t do anything…stupid….to get him to accept." Aurora faking an angry look which quickly turned to a grin.

"I appreciate the vote of confidence." Mulan said smiling, but unsure why Aurora seemed content with this outcome.

"You never did tell me why." Aurora said during a much needed break.

"Why what?"

"Why the diner?" 

"I told you it was fo-"

"Ruby, yes she deserved it. But there’s more to it."

"You seem certain."

"You’re not denying it." Aurora accused. Mulan shrugged and went back to her work. Aurora sighed in defeat and they went back to work.

"It was a peace offering." Mulan said towards the end of the day.

"What?" Aurora asked startled a bit. "What was?"

"I…Ruby is your best friend…And…I understand why you did what you did…I understand it better than you know."

"But…I do know."

"You did what you had to."

"So did you." Aurora replied softly.

"And I don’t hold it against you." Mulan continued seemingly ignoring Aurora’s statements.

"Neither do I."

"But at the end of the day…we can accept the uncontrollable in our lives or fight it. So…I accept it."

"Okay…then so do I." Aurora replied with a smile.

"So we can move forward?"

"I thought we already were." Aurora said with a smile. But in truth it was more than Mulan’s actions. It gave her confidence a boost knowing Mulan had been smart and clever enough to trick Gold. And while she never doubted her ex’s intelligence, it was her ability to play the game that worried her. But now she knew. And it eased her worries because knowing and believing was one thing, but now she had seen it.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally Posted on tumblr 3/26/2014

Mulan and Aurora finished their day in a productive silence as they waded through more paperwork. They both stood and headed out.

“So…uh tomorrow is -” Aurora started hesitantly.

“Yeah.” Mulan replied curtly. Aurora thought for a moment and decided to go for it.

“Should we…uh…?”

“Do you want to?” Mulan queried unsure if she could handle being with Aurora for the anniversary.

“I already have plans with Ruby. We’re trying to re-establish our annu–”

“Moping?”

“I don’t mope…I was going to say tradition.” Aurora replied softly before continuing her voice filled with worry. "You’ll be okay?“

"Will you?” Mulan asked failing to hide her genuine worry.

“I’ve dealt with it on my own for awhile now.”

“You shouldn’t have to deal with it on your own.”

“Neither should you.”

“I haven’t had to.”

“Me neither.”

“Okay.” Mulan said with a nod.

“Okay…see you Monday.”

“Have a good weekend…I mean..I know…but have–”

“Thanks.”

__________________________

“Good morning.” Mulan said adding some extra peppiness into her tone to aggravate her friend.

“Good morning.” Emma grumbled as Mulan walked into the house. “How are you already so awake?”

“You’re the one who wanted to meet bright and early.”

“Yeah, yeah. Let me have finish my coffee first. Do you want some?” Emma offered as the entered the kitchen.

“So what’s the plan for today?” Mulan asked once Emma gave her some coffee.

“It’s a surprise.” Emma replied and continued upon seeing Mulan’s raised eyebrow. “I think you’ll love it. It’s right up your alley and it’s a beautiful day out, thank goodness. I was worried the weather wouldn’t hold out.”

“So…it’s outdoors?”

“Yes." They spoke about Henry as Emma was worried about him keeping secrets, but speculating it was probably just a phase. 

"Are you okay to walk?” Emma asked as they left the house.

“Yeah…how long is it?”

“Like 20 minutes to the trail.”

“Trail?”

“Are you okay to walk in the woods?”

“Yeah…you didn’t think that would be an issue before?” Mulan joked as they continued walking.

“Well…I kind of didn’t think of it…until just now…cause you know…you’ve always been…well you.” Emma rambled. Mulan’s laugh calmed her down.

“You forgot, didn’t you?”

“…maybe….I don’t know…it’s different…now…but you’re still…you…" 

"But you saw me walking around with the cane and worried, huh?”

“You don’t really need the cane, do you? Cause when you left town…you were stubbornly refusing to use it despite the doctor saying it would only be temporary.”

Mulan chuckled at the memory and paused debating whether or not to tell the truth.

“Yes that’s true. But in the city….image matters a great deal when no one truly knows you.”

“…okay…”

“Different people…care about different things…and a wounded veteran sells better than a veteran who may or may not have risen in rank due to her father’s high rank…to certain people.”

“I see.” Emma responded as Mulan threw her cane over her shoulder and continued walking with a much less significant limp.

“Once I started, I had to keep it up for appearances. And I got used to it so now it’s kind of hard to shake…Also, the doctor did say my sped up rehabilitation may lead to more difficulties later on…Which….occasionally acts up.”

They reached the end of the street and Emma indicated that they should continued walking onto the trail into the woods, at which point Mulan started using her cane again on the uneven terrain. Emma changed the subject to her family life as Regina had returned to her old self following the car accident and her relationship had returned to normal with Henry after his guilt had made him more than a little overprotective. 

“So my first idea was to go to a shooting range.” Emma explained after Mulan had once again asked what the plan was for the day. “Like we used to. Then I realized you never enjoyed it as much as I did and you kind of humored me.”

“You finally figured that out, huh?”

“Uh…yep, and no one had to point it out to be, no way…not at all…it was totally all me figuring that out cause I’m the sheriff now….Anyway, I thought you’d want to distract yourself today. And you said you missed the outdoors…fresh air and all that. So I figured something out in the woods would be good.”

“I see that. Are you just postponing the explanation so you can just show it to me?”

“Yep, looks like you learned a thing or two in the city.” Emma joked.

“Ha-ha very funny.” Mulan deadpanned. “Can I get a hint?”

“Okay…” Emma paused dramatically. “Oh, I know. It’s something I think you’ll like.”

“That’s a great hint.” Mulan retorted.

“Ta-da.” She said less than a minute later as they entered a clearing. There was a small wooden cottage and some targets lined up against an old stone wall. On the porch of the cottage, there was a cooler and a couple of bows and arrows waiting.

“Oh, cool. I haven’t shot an arrow in forever.” Mulan said as they moved towards the cottage. “How did you find the equipment in the first place?" 

"It helps to know the mayor and have access to some town recreation equipment. ” Emma replied with a shrug. “So this is alright?”

“Excellent idea.” Mulan replied with a genuine smile.

“Thank goodness, my plan B was…boring.” Emma replied dramatically eliciting a laugh from Mulan.

“So non-existent huh?”

“Pretty much." 

Mulan enjoyed archery as the repetitive motion and focus acted as a form of meditation. Allowed her to clear her busy mind for a brief time which she appreciated on this painful anniversary.

After some shooting and Mulan helping Emma with her surprisingly terrible aim, they sat down and ate some of the food Regina had packed for them.

"Can I ask a question?” Emma queried as they walked back over to the makeshift shooting range.

“You just did.” Mulan replied as her first shot hit the outer edge of the target. She grabbed another arrow and was pulling back to aim.

“So…I’ve been wondering…why did you come back now?” Emma asked surprising Mulan with the question as her next shot missed the target and hit the wall.

“You know why.”

“No, I know why your bosses threatened to make you come back. But I also know that you wouldn’t have come back if you truly didn’t want to.”

“It’s a long story.”

“We have all afternoon.”

“Well…you know how upset I was when I left?” Mulan paused and looked over and continued once Emma nodded. “I never thought I’d come home. Which is funny since everyone but me seemed to know I’d come back.”

“You’re stalling.”

“I told you it was a long story.” Mulan replied annoyed.

“But are you really going to start with when you left?”

“Well…No…But before you called me to come back…I had started working on my second case…" Mulan began. ”…and then I ran into an old friend…on this day…of all days….and it got me thinking.“

"Thinking about what?” Emma asked knowing this story was probably a tiny piece of the puzzle, but she knew better than to push Mulan and give her time to tell the whole story when she was ready. She started with her reunion with Jasmine before jumping ahead two years to recount her reunion with Killian Jones.

Mulan dived into her story which took up the rest of the afternoon, pausing occasionally to gather her thoughts and continue shooting with Emma interrupting asking questions throughout as well as some anecdotes of her own.  While she was hesitant to tell the story, it felt good to let it out into the open…even if it wasn’t the whole story.

_ (Flashback) _

_ Mulan dropped her bag down right as she walked in the door before falling right onto her bed. She was tired…actually, exhausted would be an understatement. It had been a long two years. Well, it had been productive at least, but difficult. _

_ Two years ago, 27 months ago to be accurate, they had finally moved in and arrested 32 members of the Huns, including Shan Yu, the leader of the group. Their extensive preparation paid off allowing for things to move forward quickly. Within the first 7 months, 18 plea deals had been reached. Within 5 months of that, all but three individuals had yet to be tried. Shan Yu and his top two lieutenants. _

_ Shan Yu had finally been convicted 18 months following his arrest, well convicted on his first charge. three more were pending but the important thing was they had put him away and been able to argue for solitary, preventing his communication to continue his work. _

_ Mulan had all of three weeks of peace before she was contacted. And not by someone she had ever wanted to hear from.Seeing as her work for the police had somehow managed to stay confidential. She didn’t care, she knew she had contributed and that was enough.  _

_ But after tasting success, she had agreed. It felt good to be able to contribute. But this work would not move the same way. A week after her work started, she got an unexpected call from her mother. Her father was sick. His prognosis was poor. _

_ She had to go see him. She wanted to be there. And it was odd how her “boss” seemed understanding, but her captain was not. But after three weeks of fighting, she went without permission, well permission from the police. She went home. Not that she had ever lived there. But home had always been a military base. Home had been wherever her father was stationed and she could have her mother’s home cooked food. Only this time it was where Shang was stationed. Either way, she got home just in time. Her father passed while she was home for 3 month visit. She stayed a month more than planned to help…with everything… _

_ But of all days to return, it just happened to be THAT day. And while she had somehow forgotten, her friends, it seemed, had not. As her phone rang again…only this time it was an actual phone call… _

_ “Hi Graham. Yeah, I got back this afternoon….Thanks. I’m fine…” Mulan reluctantly answered her phone still lying on her stomach on her bed. He meant well, but really she didn’t want to talk about it. _

_ “Yeah, it’s all set…Yeah…Shang’s got it and Eric is nearby so they can help mom out…no, you need me here.” Mulan replied thinking to herself that her return had more to do with her need to work at this point. She wanted normal again. _

_ “I know what today is…I’m no an idiot” she said annoyed. “No, no of course I won’t…not even tonight….I’ll be fine. Yeah I’ll be there in the morning. Yes…goodnight.” Mulan said ending the conversation before collapsing backwards onto her bed only for her phone to start ringing again. _

_ “I said I won’t do anything stupid.” She snapped without checking to see who was calling. _

_ “That’s good to know.” A familiar but unexpected voice responded. _

_ “Um…who is this?” She sat up trying to think who it was. _

_ “That hurts.” The accented voice continued. “I know were technically haven’t met, I’m the coordinator of the event tomorrow. But Mulan has it been so long? And I always thought you had good form.” _

_ “Killian?” She replied after a long moment, as she moved to lean against the wall. _

_ “The kids call me ‘Captain Hook’ these days. But yes, I was surprised to see your name on the guest list tomorrow.” _

_ “You’re the one leading the veterans outreach?” Mulan asked not hiding her surprise. _

_ “Don’t act so surprise.” _

_ “No I didn’t mean…I know you’d do something like that.” _

_ “I didn’t mean like that.” _

_ “Me neither…So you called to…what…confirm? Did Graham ask you to call me?” _

_ “Yeah, I always call the new recruits to confirm logistics. You know how it works. Organization is key for smooth operations. And communication i-” _

_ "The key to good organization. Good to know you actually listened from time to time.“ _

_ While they were both hoping to catch up, Killian still had many more phone calls to make. However, Mulan did agree that they should catch up while he was in town since his work required him to travel. While she was already looking forward to performing some community service, knowing a familiar face would be around increased her excitement that much more. She enjoyed the community work the Stone Dragons seemed to be interested in. However, it worried her that it would make it harder to take them down. _

_ She had promised to help them do some community outreach, but refused to act as an ambassador and recruit others during such events. The group leaders did not seem to mind as they they liked having her but there helping others. They liked having a veteran among them as it boosted their reputation, especially one who was wounded in combat, even if her limp was completely unrelated to those injuries. _

_ The community event went smoothly. Seeing Killian was great as he updated her on all the gossip of their friends from deployment. Additionally, Mulan was able to dive into the work itself and truly enjoyed benefiting the world in a more obvious and less deceitful manner. Seeing as Killian would be leaving in a few days and would be busy, she decided to stick around and continue their conversation as she helped to clean up. _

_ Since Killian had an early morning event the next day, they could not go out for drinks. But the weather was nice so Mulan jokingly offered that he walk her home 'like a gentleman would.’ _

_ "You’re going to make me ask, aren’t you?" Mulan glared at him and he smirked in response. _

_ "Ask about what exactly?” She replied annoyed. _

_ “The…rumors…” He said unsure of how to phrase everything he wanted to say. “Your work.” _

_ “What exactly do the rumors say?” _

_ “That…you…are untrustworthy and…” He stopped to clear his throat unable to make himself repeat the words he had heard used to describe his friend. “Don’t make me say it.” _

_ “They’re…not untrue…completely. Luckily I was able to find more work after Shan-Yu got convicted.” Mulan replied knowing she could not be entirely truthful, but hoping Killian could still read between the lines as they had often done when deployed.  _

“ _ I see. _ "  _ Killian said after a long stare. "So…You’re enjoying your job?” _

_ “It’s nice to contribute…where I am not viewed…with pity.” _

_ “Where you can learn.” _

_ “Learn? I suppose there is always more to learn. Every organization is different, but I suppose there are similarities.” _

“ _ I see.” _

_ “What do you see?” Mulan replied aggravated. Killian paused before changing the subject to his family. Three blocks later during another lull in the conversation Killian returned to the topic. _

“ _ When are you going home?” Killian asked. _

_ “I just got back from home.” _

_ “Mulan.” Killian said exasperated before continuing after receiving a questioning stare in return. “Home is not just a place…I meant Storybrooke. That place where you lived before here? You know where Au-all your friends are?" Mulan inhaled sharply before replying quietly. _

_ "If they were my friends…they would have come to visit me…even though I did not invite them.” She replied hoping he understood, which he apparently did as he nodded in response. _

_ “But…friends like that…you don’t simply abandon them. Not you. Not like that. Surely you haven’t changed that much, old friend?” _

_ “I have not changed for worse, but I am where I am meant to be…where I want to be…A place where I can apply my skills…my connections…my abilities…in a positive manner.” _

_ “I see.”  He said again. _

_ “What exactly do you think you see?” _

“ _ That some things simply require…time.” _

_ “I know…but there is still more work to be done here.” _

_ “If you say so." Killian nodded with a knowing smirk confusing Mulan further.  _ ” _ Tick tock, Mulan. Get to it before it’s too late.“ Killian whispered in her ear as they hugged. _

_ "Bye.” _

_ (End Flashback) _

“And that convinced you to come back how?” Emma asked once Mulan finished her tale of what happened on this anniversary two years ago. By the time Mulan had finished her story, they had made their way back into town and finished dinner before moving to the Rabbit’s Hole for drinks.

“He was right. I should have come home a long time ago….everyone seemed to know it would happen before I knew it.”

“Home.” Emma said somewhere between a statement and question, but either way she was happy to hear it. "We’ve missed you.“

"Same.” Mulan replied with a smile.

“Wanna play a game?” Emma asked after an elongated pause where she took a call from Regina who was checking in after not hearing from her all day.  Mulan saw that Emma was nodding towards the pool table and nodded.

“Have you gotten any better since I left?” Mulan joked as they stood up.

“Have you?” Emma retorted as they were both terrible leading to especially long games, not that either minded as long as they won, therefore Aurora and Ruby were no longer welcome to play with them.

Their jibes continued throughout the game as they both enjoyed the banter and loose atmosphere. They left the bar late and Emma insisted walking Mulan the minute walk back to the inn.

“I’m sorry.” Emma mumbled into the night.

“For what.”

“That..that night. I should have been with you.”

Mulan scrunched her eyebrows trying to understand what Emma was referring to.

“Are you serious?” Mulan asked incredulous. “I’m glad you weren’t…But it would have been the same either way.”

“But I walked back with you every night. And then the one night I didn’t…the one time I…” Emma trailed off.

“If it hadn’t been that night, you would have been caught in the crossfire. I never would have forgiven myself if that happened.”

“But that’s the thing no one would have touched me because of Regina…And…”

“Emma,” Mulan said seriously stopping to look at her friend. “You didn’t walk me home every night. And it could have been any other night…Have you been feeling this way the whole time?”

“I’ve had 8 years to think of shoulda coulda woulda.” Emma replied with a shrug avoiding eye contact.

“I appreciate the sentiment…but…really…I’m back now. And…it’s no one’s fault but the guys who attacked me.”

“I just…can’t help but think that’s how it all fell apart.”

“It was bound to happen.” Mulan replied after a long pause. “But we’ll put it right. And then this won’t happen to anyone, ever again. At least not here.”

“Promise?” Emma replied skeptically in an almost childlike tone eliciting a chuckle from Mulan.

“On my father’s grave.” Mulan replied, her tone playful, but her expression dead serious.

“That’s quite a promise.” Emma replies hoping to lighten the mood as they continue walking the ten additional steps to the inn.

“Well, big problems require big solutions.”

“And massive promises?”

“Yeah.”

“Goodnight. I’ve missed you.”

“Goodnight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback much appreciated :D


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on tumblr 4/12/2014

Aurora entered Granny’s Inn to see Ruby sitting on one of the couches waiting for her.

“Hey. You made it.” Ruby said with a smile upon seeing Aurora, who moved in for a hug.

“Yeah. I’ve actually been looking forward to this.” Aurora replied as Ruby moved to pick up the basket sitting on the table.

“Yeah?" 

"Of course. How often do we get the chance to relive the glory days?”

“Glory days? It hasn’t been that long.”

“Well…no…I guess….But I’ve missed this…us.” Aurora replied holding the front door open for Ruby who nodded in thanks.

“Yeah….We have a lot of time to make up for.” Ruby said after a long pause as they walked down the familiar trail behind the inn. Aurora had agreed when Ruby suggested something easy, but familiar. A simple picnic at the top of the hill behind Granny’s, something they had enjoyed together since high school, and while Mulan and Belle had joined them occasionally, it was always an easy place to go whenever she needed her friend.

“You make it sound like it’s been decades.”

“Aurora.” Ruby said exasperated as they moved along the familiar trail. “We used to hang out everyday. Even when you went off to college while I was slaving away at the diner learning everything I needed on the job as well as classes. We still managed to make time for each other.”

“I suppose…it has been a long time since…uh…that.” Aurora replied. Ruby looked as if she was going to say something before looking away distractedly. They continued walking in silence until a fox came along the trail startling them both. The stand-off lasted less than a minute as the two woman stared down the fox before it continued along it’s path leaving them to giggle in discomfort.

Once they continued moving, their conversation started up again. Ruby revealed that Belle had asked her out on a date before quickly changing the subject. And Aurora worried aloud that Mulan would do something foolish on this day. Ruby tried to reassure her that Mulan was spending the day with Emma, which wasn’t as comforting as Aurora thought she had meant it to be.

When they reached the small clearing, Ruby started unloading the food as Aurora laid down the blanket. Aurora enjoyed the familiarity. As they enjoyed the food Ruby had prepared, they continued their conversation. Once they finished eating, they sat in silence both enjoying the scenery and fresh air as well as the sounds of nature in then lull in conversation.

“Any idea what she’s got planned?” Aurora asked realizing that Ruby hadn’t told her what her date with Belle would entail.

“No clue.”

“So it’s a surprise.” Aurora replied with a raised eyebrow and a joking smile.

“Yes.” Ruby deadpanned.

“But you hate surprises.”

“Yes.”

“And Belle knows that.”

“Yes." 

"I’m surprised you said yes.”

“Really? Is it that surprising? It’s not like we ended on a bad note. It wa–”

“The accident. Yes, I know.” Aurora interrupted in a melancholy tone. The sudden shift in conversation caused them both to tense.

“You know it’s not your fault, right?” Ruby replied after a beat.

“What?” Aurora responded genuinely surprised blinking rapidly.

“I…I know I blamed…yelled at you at the time, but I w–”

“Ruby, you don’t have to apologize. I understood…still understand. If it had been the other way around…I mean…It’s understandable and I don’t hold it against you…I promise.” Aurora said softly as they both looked away from each other to focus on the scenery.

“I…I was a terrible friend.” Ruby said looking over to Aurora who turned her head when she noticed the motion. “I’m sorry. If ever you needed a friend…it was through that time…I’m sorry.”

Aurora moved closer to hug her friend who tightened the hug. They both held tight as they felt the rift in their friendship mending as Aurora started to understand. Part of Ruby felt responsible for deserting her friend in her own time of pain. Aurora understood that she needed someone she could tangibly blame, but it had continued and Aurora did not feel like it was her place to push back in, thus rendering them in the limbo they had been living in the past 8 years.

“I’m so–”

“Stop apologizing.” Aurora cut her off sternly. “I get it. You don’t need to apologize. What you went through was…It could have destroyed this forever.” She said motioning between them. “But it didn’t because…you never truly hated me.”

“I didn’t?” Ruby replied speaking more to herself as she thought about it. “I guess that’s true.” She said slowly thinking it through. She had been angry and needed someone to blame. “Sometimes…it’s easier to be mad at your friends…since the alternative was…well…” Ruby thought out loud.

“Exactly.” Aurora supplied not wanting Ruby to finish that train of thought.

“And how did you know I never hated you?” Ruby asked tilting her head.

“I know what it looks like when you hate someone. Did you forget what happened with one Greg Mendell in high school?” Aurora replied with a smile, eliciting a laugh from Ruby. “Yeah…THAT was how you looked at someone you hated for two whole years. You never looked at me like that.” She finished thoughtfully.

The conversation ended as the sat in silence and once the sun was halfway down, they both knew to start cleaning up as their previous adventures had told them that enjoying the view much longer would lead to adventures in darkness which they both wanted to avoid.

“I have to ask.” Ruby said once they finished cleaning up and started walking. “Why…why didn’t you try harder? I mean…If you knew…If you were certain I…That I didn’t hate you.”

“You were still  **angry.** And even though it never became hate, it just never seemed right….I suppose I was too much of a coward to approach you only to be pushed away. While I understood the why…It still would have hurt. While I knew it was never hate….I don’t think I could have handled the complete destruction of our friendship….so I waited for you to initiate something…but once I knew that you and Belle split…”

“…There was no chance of me ever approaching you.” Ruby finished her sentence with a sigh before briefly wondering what prompted Belle to ask her out now. 

“What?” Aurora asked curious and a little worried when Ruby stopped suddenly holding her arm out looking at Aurora intensely.

“Belle…you don’t think…she would have told me…” Ruby muttered before asking Aurora. “Was Gold threatening her?”

“What? No I never would have allowed such a thing!” Aurora responded vehemently, but her mind was racing as she realized that the timing did seem….curious.

“NO. I would have known and I wouldn’t have allowed it.” She finished strongly, but knowing she would be confronting Mr.Gold on the issue soon.

“You’re right…sorry…I didn’t mean to accuse…I’m sorry. I know you never would have allowed it.” Ruby said shaking her head apologetically. Aurora smiled before holding her arm out to stop Ruby as they neared the end of the path hearing familiar voices.

“…And then Regina interrogated the poor child asking Grace ‘what are your intentions with my son?'  I mean we did sort of walk in on them making out…But did that ever lead to Henry spending some extra time with Neal.” Emma finished with a laugh as Mulan smiled beside her.

“Sorry I didn’t mean to interrupt.” Emma said a moment later. “But at least it wasn’t your kid you had to deal with.”

“Yeah, because walking in on two kids you don’t know making out is SO much easier.” Mulan replied with a snort. “Anyway, I ushered the two blushing kids back to the main room where Killian was making shapes with his hook. I guess those two were too old to be entertained by that.” She finished with an eye roll.

Emma and Mulan were making their way down the street with Emma carrying the empty cooler and Mulan carrying the bow and quiver of arrows as they needed to put them away as they were technically weapons.

Aurora smiled as she heard Mulan continue talking as they moved out of earshot.

( _ Flashback) _

_ “Do you want to grab dinner tomorrow?” Ruby asked Mulan as she poured her a glass of water upon taking a seat at the counter. _

_ “Sorry, can’t…I’m seeing Aurora.” Mulan said distractedly taking out some of her books. “We’re celebrating six months since we got back together. Seriously, shouldn’t you know that? Aren’t you her best friend?” She finished looking up on confusion. _

_ “Oh, yeah. Sorry I forgot, it’s just that Belle is visiting her father this weekend so I’m free as a bird.” Ruby said gesturing with her hand. _

_ “Did you ask Emma?” _

_ “Yeah…But she isn’t exactly the best company right now." Mulan hummed in agreement distractedly. Ruby left Mulan to study as she was clearly distracted by her schoolwork. She brought out her food and left her alone to study. _

_ "What?” Mulan asked looking up to see Ruby grinning after cleaning up her plate. _

_ “So…what are you planning for your anniversary?” She asked with a wiggle of her eyebrows. _

_ “Don’t you have customers to take care of…or something.” Mulan said returning her gaze to her books. _

_ “Hold up.” Ruby said placing her hand on Mulan’s book. “You’re not making her plan it, are you?” _

_ “No…I actually had to fight her on that. She’s just been so…I don’t want to say clingy…cause it’s not that bad cause clingy is such a bad word…but she’s been…a bit…” Mulan paused trying to find the right word. “…overzealous?” _

_ “Overzealous? Okay college girl using big words on me.” Ruby joked. “Do explain.” _

_ “I think she’s overcompensating…or something.” Mulan said still trying to find the right words. _

_ “Again with the big words?” _

_ “You’re not helping.” Ruby leaned back and lifted her hands in surrender. She leaned back forward and gestured for Mulan to continue. _

_ “She’s just…She feels so bad about how everything went down at the end of last year…which okay…I mean I’m glad she cares enough and is willing to put in work. And apologies are good…but at some point…it’s just…me. You know?” _

_ “First of all, your not 'just you’. Cause you’re pretty cool…as a friend…I mean, cause I have a girlfriend who I love…not that I don’t love you too.” Ruby rambled before pausing to take a deep breath. “I mean…I get it. Aurora feels guilty and is trying to make up for it.” _

_ “Exactly, but I’ve forgiven her and we’ll never work out if she keeps this up…nothing good can come out of such…such an uneven relationship.” _

_ “So you insisted that you’ll plan this weekend.” Ruby replied. “Awww who knew you were such a relationship guru…see I can use fancy words too.” She finished before walking away as another group entered the diner. _

_ While Ruby was taking their orders, Mulan realized how late it was and decided to pack up and go before Ruby interrogated her on her plans. She gave a small wave which Ruby acknowledged before leaving. _

_ ___________________ _

_ “I told you it’s a surprise.” Mulan replied to Aurora’s constant questions regarding what she had planned. _

_ “I know, I know. I’m sure I’ll love it.” She said smiling before giving Mulan a kiss on her cheek. They continued walking down the street arm in arm as Aurora complained about her history professor who kept insisting that she misunderstood how certain actions were received as offensive. _

_ “Ummm…is this the surprise?” Aurora asked trying not to sound disappointed when Mulan stopped in the middle of the trail and she didn’t see anything noteworthy. Mulan chuckled. _

_ “Close your eyes.” She replied gently. “I want to show you the surprise.” _

_ “But we’re in the middle of the woods…I’d totally trip and fall.” _

_ “Don’t you trust me?” She replied faking a hurt expression. _

“ _ Of course I do. I just…You want me to close my eyes and your going to lead me through unsteady ground with rocks and roots to trips over?” Aurora replied not meaning to sound as defensive as it came out. _

_ “I don’t want to force anything…I just…wanted it to be a surprise.” Mulan replied softly, as her nerves were showing. Aurora refusing had been a hitch in her plans. “Never mind. Just follow me.” She finished with a sigh before taking a step forward before being stopped by Aurora’s hand on her arm. _

“ _ I love you. I trust you.” Aurora said softly with a shy smile before closing her eyes not seeing Mulan smile widely. But she returned the light kiss on her lips. _

_ “Thank you.” Mulan whispered. _

_ Aurora felt Mulan take her arm and put it over her shoulder before feeling a strong arm under her waist. She let out a small sound of surprise before grasping her hands together to help Mulan carry her. _

_ “I like where this is headed.” Aurora said with a suggestive smile as she kept her eyes closed. She heard Mulan chuckle as she started walking. Mulan walked no more than twelve steps(not that Aurora was counting) before gently placing her down. And turning her slightly to her left. _

_ “Don’t worry we’re on flat ground now.” Mulan whispered before leading her a few steps forward. “Just wait here one minute. And keep your eyes closed.” _

_ “Okay.” Aurora replied feeling both nervous and a little excited wondering what Mulan had planned. She heard Mulan moving around and whispering to herself. It sounded like she was moving things around. _

_ Upon Mulan’s direction, Aurora anxiously opened her eyes. She gasped in surprise as she took in the view. _

_ “Well?” Mulan asked nervously. _

_ Aurora found herself at a loss of what to say She had been expecting something stereotypically romantic. But was glad to see something different…unique and definitely fit better with her girlfriend. She was in a small opening half-way up one of the taller hills near Storybrooke. Some targets were set up in the uphill direction with two sets of bows and arrows. On the other end of the small clearing provided a beautiful view and a small layout of food. _

_ “I…ah…put in a request so we won’t be interrupted.” Mulan explained still unsure if Aurora was pleased. “But I figured we could eat first…” Mulan said as she was still waiting for Aurora to say something. _

_ It was simple. Intimate. Private. More interesting than just dinner. Everything they preferred when together. Aurora finished taking in the site and fresh air and Mulan standing there shifting nervously wearing a hopeful smile. She took two giant steps forward before leaning in for a long deep kiss Mulan returned. _

_ “It’s beautiful….And not at all stressful…Looks like fun…Thank you.” She said with a smile. Mulan smiled in relief as she lead her over to the food that had been set up. _

_ “This technically a training area. And I was able to call in a few favors and my dad’s reputation to keep it to ourselves all day..Well, at least until sundown…but I don’t think there are any night maneuvers planned for tonight anyway, but either way we don’t want to be walking around in the dark too much.” Mulan had meant to simply explain, but it had turned into a ramble. “And well I much prefer archery and do believe you wouldn’t enjoy shooting guns. Also, that would attract too much attention. Archery is much calmer for the mind…and not nearly as loud…and no kickback. Also, easier fo-” _

_ “It’s great.” Aurora interrupted with a smile, as the sat down to eat.  _

_ It was an excellent day. Aurora realized that they had moved past their previous difficulties and Mulan wasn’t going to bolt anytime soon. She found she understood the appeal of archery in the calm and focus allowed her mind to eliminate all other worries and focus on the action at hand. She thoroughly enjoyed herself, especially the moments where Mulan stood behind her gently whispering in her ear and helping her aim. _

_ (End Flashback) _

Aurora and Ruby couldn’t hear the rest of the conversation as they had moved out of earshot. But they both smiled at their friends.

Aurora was especially glad to see Mulan enjoying herself and far more relaxed than she ever was when they were together. She sighed as she wondered once again whether or not their relationship would also return to…perhaps not where it was before, but to something closer to friendship that reluctant colleagues. But as the day with Ruby had shown, it takes time to fix these things and their rift was far larger than theirs had been.

They made their way into the now empty diner as Ruby grabbed them a couple drinks in silence as Aurora was smiling at the memory and Ruby thoughtful following what she had just witnessed.

“I…I’m not sure it’s my place.” Ruby said interrupting Aurora’s musings. “But…I care about you….more than I’d like to admit I want to get everything back to how it was before…everything…but…” Ruby paused and gulped loudly. “You’re not doing all this just to re-establish yourself are you?” She asked staring intently as if it would help her determine if the reply was the truth. 

“No.” Aurora said sternly resisting the urge to slump and look away. The last thing she wanted was to deny her friend some sense of security after the leap they had made. “What I hope to gain out of all this…I just want my life back.” She finished more softly and thoughtfully than she realized. “Don’t apologize. You have every right to doubt my motives." She finished when she noticed Ruby look away somewhat embarrassed that she had even felt the need to ask.

"I don’t want you to go to jail.” Ruby whispered after finishing her drink breaking the silence that had followed. Aurora released a small laugh.

“I would prefer to stay out of prison as well.”

“Do you think it’s possible?”

“I don’t know.” She replied truthfully.

“Well, I for one…doubt that Mulan would ever be able to put you behind bars. She loves you far too much.” Ruby said with a smile trying to lighten the mood.

“I hope so…but don’t I deserve as much.”

“That’s a loaded question…But…No.” Ruby said the final word in a tone that left no doubt and nothing to question.

“But-”

“I’m never going to say you should go to jail. The fact that you feel guilt tells me that you don’t deserve that. You were stuck between a rock and a hard place. And you’re my best friend.” Ruby said looking intently at Aurora. “It’s not even a question.”

“Thanks.” Aurora replied after a long moment as she let the words sink in. Ruby smiled and silently went to get another round of drinks.

“Did I tell you about the time Whale hit on me?” Ruby asked with a smile as she slid back into the booth.

Aurora smiled at the change of topic, but was happy that Ruby had felt the need to let her know where she stood. She had her best friend back. And it felt better than she thought it would. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback much appreciated :)


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